


Parenthood: To Our Children

by darthcarol



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Pregnancy, Reylo Kids, Slow Burn, Smut, Star Wars Twins, Twin Reylo Kids, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-08 03:06:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15233985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthcarol/pseuds/darthcarol
Summary: Six years after the breakup, Kylo meets Rey again. He still loves her but knows his presence is not welcome after all that has happened. However, before he makes the decision to leave her alone, a revelation catches him by surprise and he finds himself back into her life.This is his chance to redeem himself from the mistakes of the past. The question is, will she accept his apology?





	1. The beginning and the end

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reylohope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reylohope/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!!!!! This is my first fanfic, so bear with me! English is my second language so I apologize in advance for any grammar errors.
> 
> *Warning for this chapter: Some mention of abortion, nothing detailed or heavy but I would like to let you know.*
> 
> Super Special thanks to all the beautiful ladies at The Writing Den! You guys inspired me to write my first fanfic ever. (HOUSE CRYLO FOREVER)
> 
> A shout out to Rowan aka midnightbluefox, Thea aka diasterisms, Ruby aka Dalzo and Ruth aka inexplicabletrousers, who knew I was writing the fanfic and helped me have the courage to submit here. 
> 
> Thank You to my fiancee Filipe!!! My fan number one! Love you babe. 
> 
> I sincerely hope you like it.

_**Present** _

 

"Mama! Mama!" Rey woke up with her children jumping up and down in her bed.Today was their first day at school and they were very excited.

Rey raised her arms in sign of surrender, "I'm awake, I'm awake!".

"Good morning my munchkins! I can see that you are excited for the first day of class." She said as she huged and kissed them. "Mama was thinking about making pancakes and orange juice for breakfast, what do you think? "

"Yeah!"

“Why don’t the both of you wait in the kitchen while Mama takes a quick shower, so I can cook a super special breakfast and prepare you guys for school?” 

The twins nodded and ran out of the room.

While she was in the shower, Rey thought about how fast the time went by. It seems like it was yesterday that she received the news that she was pregnant with them.

 

* * *

 

**_Past_ **

 

"Congratulations Miss Rey! You're 3 weeks pregnant- "

And that was the last thing Rey heard the doctor say. _Pregnant!… What will I do? This can't be happening. How am I going to tell him this?_ Panic began to take over her.

On the way home, Rey decided to stop at the Central Park, she needed a moment to breathe and think. She always knew she would be a mother someday but right now was definitely not the best time for it. Rey just gained her independence and was still finding out about life, she didn’t have the necessary structure, financially and mentally speaking, to care of a child.  One thing is sure, having grown up in an orphanage herself, Rey would never give her child for adoption. The other rational option would be abortion... but could she live with that choice? For the first time in her life, making the most rational decision was not her first choice.

And then her thoughts returned to Kylo, she does not know for sure what Kylo's reaction would be but something inside her said it would not be a good one. They were together only for six months and despite her being sure that she loves him, she does not know if he feels the same way. Their relationship has been in a bad place for the last weeks. Rey did not like the way Kylo's company was doing business, and that's been the main reason they fought. Adding an unplanned pregnancy to this equation was definitely not going to help.

After a while Rey decided it's time to face reality and go home. She still has a few hours before meeting with Kylo and she would use every minute to try to prepare for his reaction.

 

#

 

Kylo was having a full day at work, it is the end of the month and he has many reports to be reviewed and delivered. After so many years in the company he was already accustomed to this routine, but this month the situation is different. President Snoke was watching him closely, so his performance should be impeccable, especially if he wants to remain as the main candidate to be the new vice president of this branch. His promotion was a sure thing until two weeks ago.

Kylo never had any trouble following Snoke’s orders and always thought his boss's business decisions were necessary and very efficient. He always wanted to step out of the shadow of his family and make a name for himself. Snoke, was the first to believe in his ability and so Kylo always remained loyal to him. When Rey entered his life, his perception of some things changed however. He did not share the details of his work with her but he could feel her influence in his decisions, he began to question the company's tactics and consequently of his boss as well.This change did not go unnoticed by Snoke and his co-workers but he refused to expose the reason behind it. For some reason he knew it was best to keep his personal life separate from his professional life.

It's been two weeks since Hux accidentally let it slip about Rey in front of Snoke. Hux and Kylo were discussing the company's anniversary dinner, without noticing that their boss was nearby, and then Hux asked Kylo if he would take Rey as plus one. Before Kylo could answer it, Snoke was already interrupting their conversation and commanding him to take his partner to the party, insisting that he would like to meet her. He did not remember accepting the suggestion, the only thing he remembers was the thought that went through his mind.  _I have a bad feeling about this._

His thought could not have been more correct. That night was the first night that Rey learned about the details of his work and how his company operated, Snoke was not shy about the his business tactics and Kylo could see Rey's aversion to his boss in her expressions. The night ended with Rey and Snoke having a heated discussion about morality and ethics, to the point that Rey stood up and left the table before dinner ended with Kylo following her just behind.

His life has become hell after this dinner, with Rey pressing him on one side and Snoke on the other, he felt himself being torn apart.

 _"I can not believe you're acting like a teenager, letting a pair of pretty legs cloud your judgment. I'm rather disappointed with you, perhaps you are not prepared for an important position such as vice-president."_ Snoke told him during a private meeting in his office after dinner.

Nothing makes Kylo angrier than people doubting his ability, he had enough of it growing up. He worked very hard to get where he is and even believing that his relationship with Rey is one of the best things that happened in recent years for him and he could even say that he was falling in love with her, something he never thought possible, the thought that she might be negatively influencing her performance left a bad taste in his mouth. After that the relationship began to take a bad path.

 

#

 

Kylo was in his office getting ready to leave when Hux knocked on the door.

"Ren, great presentation today. It's no surprise that you have managed to exceed this month expectations."

"And I can see that you're in a good mood, what's the catch Armitage?" Kylo knew he hated being called by the first name.

"You will not be able to ruin my mood today Ren, Snoke asked me to tell you that he's waiting for you in his office." Kylo was taken aback, Hux would not be here if he did not have something to gain but he would not have the pleasure of letting Hux know that he was suprised and nervous.

"Thank you for coming out of your way to come and tell me, I'll go there immediately." He said getting up and leaving his office.

"Good Luck Ren" Hux left smiling.

Kylo knew his conversation with Snoke could only be about Rey and the promotion. It would not be the first time in the last few weeks that he found himself in his boss' office discussing these topics but he could feel that today there is something different in the air.

"I'm here to see Mr. Snoke." Kylo spoke to his secretary.

"You can come in Mr.Ren, Mr. Snoke is already waiting for you."

Snoke's office was very minimal but imposing at the same time. The floor was black as well as the furniture, his table had a glass lid and the chairs had black leather seats. The view was breathtaking, the sun was setting point on the horizon and the sky had assumed colorful tones. If the air in the room had not been so tense, Kylo would have appreciated the view.

"I believe you know what this meeting is about, Mr. Ren," Snoke said as Kylo sat in the chair.

"The promotion I believe" Kylo said flatly.

"You're right, I'll be straight. The other partners and I talked and we came to the conclusion that Hux is the best option for the position of vice president." 

It took a moment for Kylo to absorb what was said. "What is the reason for this change? My performance is the best of this company!” He was standing and yelling now. Kylo was sure his performance this month would show that he is more than capable to take the position.

"Careful Young Solo, I have little tolerance for insubordination.” Snoke said in a threatening tone.”When I brought you to this company I did it because I could see your ambition, your passion to grow and your desire to be powerful but now you let your thoughts be influenced by a nobody-"

"I still have my ambition otherwise I would not have surpassed my quotas this month!” At this point, Kylo was already pacing in the room. “And I know Rey very well."

"Then I believe you know all about the little orphan's past!" Snoke had something up his sleeve, Kylo could feel it. He was not surprised that Snoke investigated her past, it was one of the more common tactics he used against his enemies.

Kylo rolled his eyes."She told me she was orphane-"

"Did she also tell you about her criminal past?" Snoke said smirking in triumph.”I can tell by your expression that she did not tell you about that part. I'm not surprised she seemed like a smart woman, why would she expose her plans for the next victim?"

Kylo was paralyzed in place."What do you mean by victim?" He said with his voice barely coming out.

"I've always thought that the best to keep people from making a mistake was letting them make it and suffer the consequences. However, I consider you family, so I will help you open your eyes and see the danger that lives under your roof."

 

 #

 

Kylo's head was spinning. Going home, Kylo could not stop thinking about the conversation with Snoke. 

Rey was the first serious relationship that Kylo had. He always thought she was perfect for him, almost too good to be true. Kylo was difficult to deal with, he knew that much, but Rey did not seem to care about his impossible personality. The more time they spent together, the more he wanted to stay with her and that's how they ended up living together only a few months of dating.

In the middle of all happiness, a small part of him always questioned why she was with him, he knew she was too good for him. However, knowing the truth now made everything make more sense. It pains him to know that she was only with him for the same reasons that all the other women who have approached him in the past had: money.

He should feel annoyed, but now he only felt heartbroken. Kylo knew that Rey was waiting for him at home, but he did not know how he would react when he saw her.

 

#

 

Rey was staring out the living room window when he entered the apartment.

"Hey! How was your day?" Rey asked gently, turning to face Kylo.

Kylo did not answer, just walked over to the bar and filled his glass with whiskey. Rey knew his day had been difficult just by reading his expression. She could feel her panic rising by the second.

"I-I-I have something to tell you, can we sit down?” She said pointing to the couch.

They sat side by side on the couch but he was still not looking at her. Rey wondered if he had ever realized she was pregnant. Rey wondered what had happened with him, she considered asking him about it, but every time they talked about his work the conversation ended in a very heated discussion. She decided to put her worries aside for a bit and deal with the most urgent problem.

"I went to the doctor today."

Kyo finally looked up from his drink and looked at her. Rey could see an edge of concern in his eyes mixed with other emotions that she could not make out. _Something is wrong,_ she thought. Looking into his eyes made all the emotions she was barely able to keep in control explode.

Between tears and sobs, Rey blurted out. "I'm pregnant!"

She did not mean it to come out this way but it just happened. There is nothing she can do now, the truth is out. Rey brought her hands to her face and and braced herself for Kylo’s reaction.  And of all the reactions Rey expected Kylo to have, the one he chose did not even cross her mind.

He was laughing, but it was not a nervous laugh, no, it was a bitter laugh. Rey knew she would never forget that sound.That made her look at him again.

"You're a great actress, you know that? For a second I almost believed you, I was almost worried for you. Seriously, how can you make a cry look so convincing?" Kylo said after catching his breath and looking at her.

Rey could feel her heart breaking into millions of pieces. 

"I do not understand...why are you saying these things? I'm pregnant is not a lie" She tries to touch him but he is faster and deflects from her touch by standing up.

Kylo was walking to the bar when he suddenly stops and turns. "You can stop now!" He said angrily."I already know the truth. I already know about your little scheme. You made a mistake if you thought I'd be an easy target.”

"I do not know what you're talking about!" Rey stood up and she could feel his anger rising.

"STOP! Just stop acting like you're innocent! I know about your past, I know how you seduce men and then robs them. You did this to one of the families who adopted you and then you did to the guy who took care of the orphanage you used to live in and ran - “

"This is not what happened, I do not believe you think I could do that!"

"And to think that I almost missed a job promotion because of you." Kylo said filling his glass again and shaking his head in disbelief.

Rey moved closer to him. "So that's about it? I tell you I'm pregnant and you're worried about that horrible job?" She knew she should be asking why he was digging her past but the mention of his work rubbed her the wrong way.

"That horrible job is my life! I worked hard to get to where I am and I can not believe that I let myself be carried by a orphan whore-" His words were interrupted.

That was the last straw for Rey. To hear him call her a whore triggered something in her and before realizing she had already slapped him.

"You're a monster, I hate you Kylo Ren." She said as she walked out the door, grabbing her purse and giving him one last look. 

 

#

 

Rey missed Finn and she needed to talk to someone, so she ignored the fact that it was already after midnight in Scotland and called him. It took a while for him to answer, which means he was probably asleep. Rey felt guilty but she had no one else in her life.

"Hi Peanut! How are you? Did something happen?" He said in a sleepy voice.

Rey was trying not to cry listening to the worry in her best friend's voice. "Finn,  is your proposal still standing?" 

"You do not sound well, what happened?" He sounded more awake now.

"I'll tell you but for now, can you please answer me?" 

"Of course Peanut! I would be more than happy to have you, my sister, here with me! When will you come?" Finn knew she would tell the things in her time, so he decided not to press more on the subject for now.

"As soon as I can." Rey wanted to stay as far away from Kylo as she could.

 

#

 

Rey spent the night at a hotel. On the next morning, she returned to the apartment to get her things when she knew that Kylo would not be there. Arriving there she found out that she didn't need to go up, the doorman told her that Kylo had left her stuffs in the lobby with him in case she showed up. Rey felt deeply hurt.

She thanked the doorman for putting her on an Uber and went straight to the airport. On the way to the airport she thought of Kylo, she knew she should not, but part of her still loved him. Rey made a final decision to give a closure on that part of her life. 

She picked up her phone, opened the message chat with Kylo and pressed the button to leave a voice message.

 

* * *

 

**_Present_ **

Thinking about that day still makes Rey emotional. The memory of Kylo's reaction still very strong in her head and heart. She never felt so lost in life. However, she was very happy with the results that came out from the actions of that day. Rey loved her children and, although it was not easy all the time, she could not picture a life without them.

When Rey arrived in the kitchen, the twins were sitting and chatting excitedly about going to school. Some of the other children in the neighborhood would also attend the same class and they could not be more happy.

"I've prepared your favorite snack for you to take and I put a little more if you want to share with your classmates."

"Thank you Mama." Mingus said smiling sweetly. 

Physically, the twins were a mixture of Rey and Kylo. Both had father's beautiful, silky black hair and Rey's freckled face. Mingus had Kylo's eyes and smile and Luna had Rey’s. The two of them had Kylo's ears in a less protuberant version, Rey found it very cute.

When it came to personality they differed slightly. Mingus was kind and patient, very perceptive of peolples feelings around him. Luna was more fearless and impulsive, she usually acted before thinking. Their personality merged when it came to caring for the people they loved, they were very protective and kind-hearted. From their parents they inherited the stubbornness.

Only God knows how hard it is for Rey to change the twins minds when they are set their on something.

 

#

 

After breakfast, Rey helped them get ready for school.

"I'll get you guys after school and we're going out with Uncle Finn to celebrate your first day, what do you guys think?"

"YEAH!" They shouted together.

When Finn appeared they were already waiting outside. Rey did not need a ride but she knew Finn wanted to be there for another moment so remarkable in the twin’s life. He was the closest to a father figure they had and she could not have chosen anyone better. Finn was always there for her. He was like the brother she never had.

The whole way to the school,  the kids they could not stop talking to Finn about how excited they were and making plans about later. In those moments Rey could not feel more blessed and happy.

"We're here!" Finn said as he parked in front of the school.

Rey turned to speak to her children."We're going to take a picture and then I'll take you guys inside." She had no physical memory of her childhood, so she documented as much as she could of the twin’s life.

After the photos, which were probably more than a normal person would take, Rey took her kids inside. She said goodbye to them, feeling emotional to see them so big, and promised she would be there at the exact moment the classes were finished. In her head, she knew she'd be there for at least half and hour before.

"I was wondering when you were going to start crying." Finn said teasing Rey as she got into the car.

"Oh, Shut up! I have the right to feel emotional on my babies' first day at school." Rey said analyzing the mess that was her makeup in car mirror.

"Of course you are Peanut." He said hugging and smiling at her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> P.S.: If it's bad I'll be blaming Rowan. >.< HAHAHA jk
> 
> This is My Tumblr [ https://kpopandstarwarswhynot.tumblr.com/](https://kpopandstarwarswhynot.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> Thank you for reading it.


	2. The Scottish Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day at Scotland for everyone. 
> 
> Some are going to school, others are going to work and some are waking up a few feet away from the love of their life and don't even know it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the comments in the first chapter were so sweet, they made my heart happier. Thanks for reading my story.
> 
> Special thanks to [Ruth ]() who has helped me a lot with all the info on Scotland. You are an angel.
> 
> Kisses to all the ladies in The Writing Den. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this one. ( Ben/Kylo for you guys. )

When Rey went to live with Finn in Scotland, her life was upside down and all she needed was a fresh start. She hadn’t thought where she was going, all she knew was that she needed to get out of New York and away from Kylo as much as she could. When she arrived in Edinburgh, she didn't expect to fall in love with the city but she did it.

Rey loved the older part of the Scottish capital, she thought it was charming the historical buildings, streets and more ancient sights. One her family favorite things to do on sunny days was walking in Princes Street Gardens and near Christmas, they loved to go in the Christmas market there, it was a family tradition.

To her delight, Finn's company, where she worked, was situated on Princes Street not far from the gardens. Rey and Finn often had lunch at The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant, which had a beautiful view. From there she could see the Scott monument, the large green area behind it and The Balmoral hotel.

In her daily routine, the only place with a view that competed with this was the Tower restaurant , at the National Museum of Scotland roof terrace. The view was breathtaking from there, it had a beautiful view from the city skyline and the Edinburgh Castle. They enjoyed going there to watch the sunset, especially on the most stressful work days.

Rey thought she would never be able to find a place she considered home after leaving Kylo, but she was wrong. Edinburgh and its kind and polite people won her heart from day one.

 

#

 

The ride to work wasn’t very long and, for their happiness, there was not much traffic. Since cars weren’t allowed on Princes Street, they had to park in a parking lot and walk to the office. The walk wasn’t long and the view was beautiful so they didn’t care, chatting as they walk.

“With all this excitement with the first of the twins' school I forgot to tell you something. I have a new hot neighbor.” He said excitedly.

“Uh! Are you going you hit that?” She said playfully, wiggling her eyebrows exaggeratedly.

He chuckled at his friend dorkiness.“I wish. To be honest, I didn’t even talk to him yet. I just saw him going out with his dog this morning before going to your house.”

“Well, next time you introduce yourself, offer to take care of his dog, you know, all the nice things that a neighbor without ulterior motives would say.” She said teasingly.

“You're not as funny as you think you are, you know?” He said, narrowing his eyes.

“I don’t know what you're talking about, I'm hilarious.” She said smugly.”Anyway, tell me how he looks.”

 

#

 

Ben was stressed. Opening a new office of his company in another country was a great achievement, he and his partners were super excited, but there were many details to be defined and on top of that, he had to move in order to follow the progress of the new branch. The company was particularly new, so he wanted to keep up with the growth process closely.

He barely slept in the last few days, so when he got off the plane last night he went straight to the hotel. He was asleep when he was awakened by his cell phone ringing.

Before he could say anything, Poe's voice was already invading his ears.

"Good morning, Mr. Solo-" Poe said in a fake british accent.

Ben grunted at his friend and hung up the phone. His phone rang again.

"Rude." Poe said more amused than offended.

"Always."He said sleepily.

"Anyway-” Poe paused and Ben could hear him moving around.”I already finished moving to my new house, so I was thinking, since we have a free morning, we could go out and find a place for you. ”

“Do we really have to? I'm perfectly okay with staying in a hotel until the launch party.” Ben said more awake and moody now.

Ben could hear his friend's dog on the other end of the line.”It's up to you. But we could still have coffee together, I can meet you there -” Poe paused longer.

"Poe?” He said looking to see if his phone was still on.”BB8 got your tongue?"

"Ha Ha! Very funny, BB8 is a dog and you know that.” Poe was clearly unamused by Ben’s joke.“I was just greeting my neighbor. I'm taking BB8 for a walk, Can I meet you in a half an hour?"

Poe was trying to change the subject but Ben was not going to make it easy for him. "I think I'm going to pass on some of my obligations to you, you know, considering you have time to flirt with your new neighbor."

"How did you know it was a man? It could totally be a nice old lady. "Poe said sounding offended but amused.

"Because I've known you forever." Ben was having fun with Poe's reaction.

“I called to help you deal with your obligations but since you've decided to be an asshole I withdraw my offer.”

“You're just annoyed because you got caught.” Ben said, teasing some more.

“Whatever, I'll walk BB8 now.”

“See you in half an hour.” Ben said hanging up the phone.

Ben's mood was better now, so he decided to get up and take a shower.

Ben always considered Poe as a brother he never had, they had always been there for each other in times of need. Poe and Ben’s interaction has always been this way and those who didn't know them could get the wrong idea easily. Poe was one of the few people in his life who had the courage to call him out for his mistakes and to see the real _he_ behind his expressionless face and harsh words.

At that moment Ben thought of her... **_Rey_ **.

 

* * *

 

**_Past_ **

 

 _She must be a witch, that's the only explanation. She must have put something in my coffee._ This was a recurring thought of Kylo in the last week. ****

Kylo always had difficulties to interact with other people and since college his main focus has always been on his career, so it was no surprise that his romantic life was non-existent. It has been long since a woman was able to draw Kylo’s the attention and,  even then, it was never more than a physical attraction for him. But now he founds himself walking back into the same diner every day, one completely out of the way home, to drink a cup of coffee just because of a pair of pretty hazel eyes and a beamed smile.

In his 29 years of life he had never met a woman like Rey. For him, she was beautiful, incredibly intelligent, funny and, on top of all that, she wasn’t afraid of him or wanted to take advantage of him.

The diner was simple, sort of old-fashioned, but it was quiet at the time he came and he liked it. He sat at his usual table by the window and waited for Rey to come and take his order. Although she already knew his request at that point, she had always tried to persuade him to ask for something else.

This waiting always made his stomach turn. He felt like a teenager again, trying to get the attention of the most beautiful girl in high school. Kylo saw the exact moment she noticed his presence, she smiled at him and came out from behind the counter to take his order.

"Let me guess, pancakes and orange juice?" She said playfully coming up beside him.

He chuckled at her attempt. "Coffee, black with no sugar, please." he replied, ignoring her joke.

"One day I'll see you order something other than this awful coffee." she said, sounding confident at her words.

"I don’t think your boss will like to know that you tell your customers that his coffee is horrible." He teased her.

"Oh do not worry, I'll tell him that every day." She assured Kylo.

He laughed at her statement, "I do not know why I'm surprised, it totally sounds like something you would do." He said honestly, smiling at her.

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I will prepare your order."

For Kylo, Rey was the definition of bold. By the fact alone that she was brave enough to talk to him so openly already said a lot about her personality. 

Kylo was a tall, broad man, he knew that his appearance along with his personality could make him a very intimidating person and so people didn’t approach him easily, especially women. The women who ccme to him in recent times usually had an interest in his financial situation. Rey, on the other hand, didn’t mind telling him what she thought, didn’t care for his direct answers, and still had the courage to answer him back with the same sincerity.

He felt calmer, less stressed and more like the old him when around her. He liked it. It had been a long time since Kylo had someone in his daily life that brought the best of him.

Kylo was lost in his thoughts staring at the window, not noticing Rey approaching. When he realised, she had said something that he didn’t caught.

"Sorry, I distracted myself. What did you just say?" He hoped she was not offended by his distraction.

She was looking at him with a bit of mistrust but repeated the question anyway. "I asked when are you going to finally ask me out?"

He blinked in surprise at her question. _Does she want him to ask her out?_ His head was spinning with this information. "W-What?"

"When are you going to ask me out?" Rey said slowly, to make sure he understood. "You're very distracted today. Something happened? " She said sitting down in front of him, clearly amused by his reaction.

 _Yes, you happened_... He thought to respond to her. He composed himself again.

"I'm sorry if I'm surprised but it's not every day that I get an ultimatum to ask someone out. And it's definitely not every day that the ultimatum is given by the same person that I should be asking out." He chuckled lightly. "Describing this situation out loud made it sound even more confusing."

Rey didn’t answer right away as she always did, and he noticed how his words must have sounded to her. "I mean, I didn’t know I was being so obvious." He added, making clear his feelings.

Kylo saw her face brighten at his confession. "Well, you're not as mysterious as you would like." She teased him.

"When is your turn over? We can have something here after you're done." Kylo said eagerly, ignoring her teasing.

She laughed at his suggestion. "I will not have my first date with you at my workplace." Rey responded, slapping his arm lightly.

"What do you think about tomorrow night?" He asked, embarrassed by his previous suggestion.

"Tomorrow night sounds great. I will not be working though. I have to deliver a paper for one of my classes but I will be free after that."

"I can pick you up there, what time will you leave?" He sounded eager again.

Before answering, she picked up a paper and wrote something on it. "Here, this is my number and the college address. I would probably be good to leave at 7 pm." She said with a grin."I guess I should go back to work, see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow." Kylo smiled back.

Before returning to the counter Rey surprised Kylo once more, she leans over and kisses his cheek. "Coffee'is on me today." She said hoarsely, winking at him and walking out with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

Six years and he still smiles when he thinks of that moment, when he thinks about her… Ben always thought Rey had something special since the first time he saw her, that day was confirmation. She had been so brave asking him out, and thinking back to their first date, how disastrous it had been and yet she still wanted to be with him. Ben was sure that he would never find anyone like her, he cursed himself everyday by their last talk.

Ben had constant nightmares where he remembered about that. Her face when he wrongly accused her, all the things he said to hurt her. Rey’s face when he didn’t believe in her feelings...and her voice...her voice in that last message...the things she said...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> I've never been to Edinburgh so I'm sorry if I wrote something wrong.  
>  Thanks for reading.
> 
> View from [The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant](https://www.tripadvisor.com.br/ShowUserReviews-g186525-d2006646-r590197874-The_Scottish_Cafe_Restaurant-Edinburgh_Scotland.html#photos;geo=186525&detail=2006646&ff=326427871&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=326427871&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=).
> 
> View from [Tower Restaurant ](https://www.meetingedinburgh.com/The-Tower-Restaurant-1670/The-Tower-Window-Seating-1673).


	3. Wishing For Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben wish each other happiness in life ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my love to the ladies in [The Writing Den](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/).
> 
> My special thanks to [inexplicabletrousers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inexplicabletrousers) for helping me and [Reylohope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reylohope) for reading my story and leaving lovely comments, love you Mel. <3
> 
> Thanks babe for proofreading my stuffs, you are the best.

**_Past_ **

 

" **_Silence...Deep Sigh...Okay, I can do this._ ** **..** **_Kylo, I'm going to be straight with you...I had disappointments in life but you were by far the biggest, you broke my heart._ ** _”_ Kylo could feel her heart breaking together with her voice. ” **_I can’t believe you thinks I'm capable of something like that…_ ** ”Rey starts to sob.” **_I-I-I didn’t do any of that, Kylo._ ** _”_ She began to cry heavily _.”_ **_All you accused me of is a lie and if you had cared for me, you had loved me, you would know, you should know…you should know…_ ** _”_ Her voice was lower and he could hear her trying to control her tears.” **_You should have asked me...Why didn’t you ask me? Why?_ ** _”_ The pause was longer this time, Kylo knew the message was not over because he could hear Rey's desperate cry. When the crying subsided, she spoke again. _”_ **_I loved you...I love you…_ ** ” Her voice was low, barely audible.” **_I guess it doesn’t matter now…_ ** ” She laughed bitterly.” **_I'm sure if you look for it, you'll find your, without effort, evidence of my innocence. What you're going to do with this information I don’t care. Hell, I don’t even know if you're going to hear this message… I just wanted to get a chance to defend myself._ ** ” Rey paused again to breathe and calm down.” **_Oh! And the child you didn’t even bother to acknowledge, you don’t have to worry about it. I'll deal with it alone. Good Bye Kylo._ ** " And then silence.

He tried to call her, but her phone was off.

_What did I do?_

It was the third time in less than 24hrs that the time around him seemed to stop completely. He repeated Rey’s message several times and every time he finished playing, his heart became tighter and his lungs emptied painfully.

He was so submerged in his pain that he missed the knocking on his office door, when he returned to his senses, his secretary was standing in front of his desk trying to catch his attention.

“Mr. Ren, it's time for the meeting to announce your promotion to Vice President." She said when she realized she'd finally gotten his attention.

"Thank you, I'll be right there." He answered dismissing her.

This promotion was everything Kylo wanted and worked so hard in the last few years to get. It was the proof that he could succeed in whatever he wanted without his family help. But now, after hearing Rey's message, all he felt was disgust and hatred for himself.

_You were right, I'm a monster._

 

* * *

 

**_Present_ **

 

Every time Ben travels a small part of him, a very selfish part of him, wonders if this fate will finally lead him to where Rey is. If he’ll be able to see her again, even if it was from afar. Ben knows that this little glimmer of hope is wrong. He knows that Rey will never associate his presence with anything good again and the last thing he wants is to make her unhappy.

He wonders, sometimes, how would a baby with a mixture of the two would look. It hurts to know he had a chance to have a family with her and lost it.  

It pains that in one of the most difficult moments of her life, instead of helping her, he just made everything worse. He left his insecurities get the best of him and lost her forever.

He wished sometimes to be able to go back in time and listened to her, stayed with her, but as much as he hates to admit, looking at the past ‘him’, Ben knows he wasn’t ready. Kylo was very immature, very lost, very selfish, very broken. Even with all the love they felt for each other, he knew he would never have been a good father to his child. He would end up cursing his kid to have a childhood like his. Looking back now, Ben knows that even if they hadn’t fought that night, child or not, he would’ve ended up losing Rey.

Ben met the woman of his life when he wasn’t ready, but he didn’t know it and now that he's in the right place in life, where he could love her the way she deserves, Ben is mature enough to know that he doesn’t deserve to have her back.

Ben doesn’t know where she is but one thing he's sure, he wants her to be happy.

 

#

 

Ben decided to pull his sad thoughts aside and start the day by opening his hotel room window. The view was incredible, he could clearly see the movement of Princes Street and his window was directed directly to the Scott monument, he loved the Scottish capital’s architecture.

Poe would be there any minute, so he went to take a shower and get dressed to see his friend. There were many things about the company that they needed to discuss and finalize before they could start operating, so today would be a full day.

When he finished showering, he got dressed and took his iPad to check the emails. Ben had several work messages, some from the New York office, others about the new branch, but what caught his eye was the email from his other partner and friend, Hux. The subject was: **_Read as soon as you wake up_** **.** Intrigued and curious, he opened the email.

 

" _I'm sending you this email because I'll be asleep when you wake up_ . _Stop looking for her. I know you and I know the first thing You’ll think when you wake up it's in her. You always do this on trips, resulting in a very grumpy Ben Solo. We have a lot of details to decide on the new branch, so the last thing we need is moody Ben Solo making decisions._

_Hope you enjoy your breakfast._

_Hux._ "

 

 _Redhead asshole_. Ben hated how much his friends knew him, Poe probably called this morning for breakfast because of Rey as well. He was amazed how his friends could be so different but equal at the same time.

Ben admits he was surprised when Hux approached him with a business proposal after everything that happened at First Order Investments and with Snoke. His relationship with Hux was always very professional, Ben admits he wasn’t the biggest fan of the guy but respected his abilities. He knew that Hux also respected him but he never imagined that Hux would propose to open a company together. It's been four years since that happened.

In the meantime, both of them and Poe created a bond. They went through a lot when they opened the company and this helped solidify a brotherhood relationship between them.

Ben was happy to have both of them in his life, but sometimes they could be a pain in the ass.

 

#

 

Rey worked with Finn at his company. He had moved to Scotland because he and a friend of theirs, Rose, had the idea of starting a digital marketing business. Rose had computer engineering degree and worked as an intern for a company creating websites and Finn had a bachelor degree marketing, focusing on social media networks, so they decided to start a business together.

Rey was studying to be a teacher when she got pregnant, so she didn’t know much about it. However with Finn being her main support during pregnancy, she felt a responsibility to do something for him.

In the beginning, Rey helped them as secretary, arranging clients, calling places, arranging schedules. But with time, she took interest in website programming and Rose helped her take courses online. When she got pregnant, Rey didn’t know what her future would be so being able to help was a good motivation for her to study more about the subject.

The company went through a difficult time when the twins were about 3 years old. It was a very tumultuous time in her life. With all the financial problems in the company and Mingus showing signs of asthma, Rey felt desperate again. In addition, her grandfather decided to appear in her life.  
  
Rey was a little apprehensive when her grandfather, Obi-Wan, contacted her. Growing up, she'd always imagined her family showing up at the orphanage and taking her out of that sad life. But after everything that happened in her teens until the day she left there, she decided it was not worth wasting time with people who didn’t care for her. Seeing her grandfather brought back all those memories that Rey had left behind.

Finn knew her very well, so he knew that she would regret it if she didn’t sit down with Obi-Wan at least once to hear his side. Rey feels happy now that Finn convinced her.

 

* * *

 

**_Past_ **

 

Rey was standing outside the restaurant, from the moment she entered her life would change, she knew that much.

The restaurant at the Balmoral hotel was extremely elegant and luxurious, Rey expected no less from a five star hotel. Entering the place, she was taken to her grandfather's table, it was at the end of the restaurant in a reserved place. She joined him in silence.  
  
Her grandfather was the first to break the silence "I'm glad you showed up, I had my doubts about it. Thank you for coming."He offered her a gentle smile.

Rey still didn’t trust her voice, so she just nodded and offered a small smile in return.  
  
"Do you want to eat something? They have great a haggis in here." Rey could see that he was nervous.

"Sounds good." She spoke in a lower voice.  
  
He called the waitress and made their orders. When they were left alone, her grandfather spoke again.

"I would like to apologize for not having found you before. There is not a day in my life that I don’t regret kicking your mother out my life. At the time I thought I was making the right decision but know that I see my mistake."He said sadly. Rey could see the intense pain in her grandfather's expression, the lines of expression that adorned his face intensifying his sad expression.

Seeing that Rey had nothing to add, he continued. "Your mother was very cheerful as a kid, she was the only girl in the middle of three boys, she was my princess. When she grew older, she began to distance herself from us. She was sixteen when she became pregnant with you. When she told us about it, I didn’t know what to do.” He paused, Rey knew that the story was getting to a difficult point for him. So she reached for his hand and squeezed gently.”Your father offered to leave your mother alone in exchange for money. That day I lost my calm and I attacked him, unfortunately your mother chose to believe in your father who lied about the situation and ran away with him. I tried to open her but she didn’t want to know, the last news I had of them was that you had been born in London.Three years later I received a letter from her, telling me her how sick she was, how much she regretted, about you…” He stopped to keep the tears from falling. ”I was there when she was gone but unfortunately, she didn’t remember which orphanage had left you...I never gave up on looking for you Rey.” He smiled at her, tears streaming down his face. ”Imagine my surprise to discover that you were living in Edinburgh and that I have great-grandchildren.” His smile widened. “I would be very happy if you gave me a chance to participate in your lives. Please…” Grabbing her hand stronger.

Rey could see the pain in his words, in his watery eyes. He made a mistake and regretted it, he was trying, she appreciated that.

She had long abandoned the hope of knowing her origins but now Rey found herself curious to know more about the man in front of her and his family.

She squeezed gently his hand. "Of course."

Her grandfather's face lit up in a huge grin."Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

Rey had a lot of questions but decided to start with something simple."So our family is from here?"

 

#

 

The rest of their conversation at lunch was very pleasurable, the two avoided more intense topics, wanting to keep the atmosphere as pleasant as possible.

Obi-Wan, or Ben as he insisted on being called, told her how her family is one of the oldest families in Scotland and has its origins in the highlands. He showed her family's colors and coat of arms. Rey could see that it was a topic of great pride for him. He told her how he used to be an archaeologist and how he got the job of history teacher at The Edinburgh University, but still travel occasionally, just to stay active.

Her grandfather asked about her life, about her children, Rey was able to speak quickly about the situation with Kylo without feeling too emotional. She didn’t hate him and remembering the news she read about him last year, made remembering him less painful for her. Kylo was trying to find his past in life and she was happy for him. Rey also mentioned briefly to Obi-Wan, Mingus health issues and how difficult it has been with the whole situation in Finn's company.

When they said goodbye, Rey felt a little sad. She had loved the company of her grandfather and could see that he too had enjoyed the time with her. They exchanged contacts and left their next visit scheduled.

Growing up, Rey always felt the absence of a family, it was everything she longed for. After having Luna and Mingus, she finally felt that emptiness in her life being filled. Rey was happy with the family she had, composed by her children and her best friends, whom she chose as siblings.

But having her grandfather looking for her, and wanting to be a part of her life, made that scar in her heart she carried since she was a child being healed.  Rey was part of a family now and the lonely girl inside her could finally be at peace.

 

#

 

Rey relationship with her grandfather Ben, or Papa Kenobi as Mingus and Luna called, only got stronger in the months that followed their meeting. They only had a disagreement when her grandfather wanted on giving her money. He insisted that it was her rightful inheritance and that it would make him very happy to be able to help her and the children.

In the past, Rey would have fought more intensely on the subject, but she was a mother now and being a mother meant she had to put the good of her children above all else. Her sense of responsibility left no room for her pride and stubbornness.

Accepting her grandfather's proposal meant she could help her best friend as well and start repaying all the help he gave her. Finn helped her throughout her pregnancy, always making sure she and the twins had everything they needed, but now his company was in trouble, so Rey knew what she needed to do.

Rey’s family wasn’t madly wealthy, but they had plenty of money, more money than she had ever seen in her life. Grandpa Kenobi promised Rey that he only giving what was rightfully her, nothing less nothing more. He admired her ability to win in life with her own efforts. He told her that she had definitely inherited the Scottish people tenacity and pride.

 

#

 

During Christmas that year, Rey gifted her grandfather by exchanging hers and the children last name, now they were all McGregor Keboni. Grandpa Kenobi was so touched by her gesture that he couldn’t contain his tears. He thanked Rey once again for letting him be part of her life.

Rey was crying too, she thanked him for giving her and  her children a chance to be part of a family. They wouldn’t have to grow up creating history about their family past like she had to.

 

* * *

 

**_Present_ **

 

Now Finn's company was going great. It was doing so well, that they moved to their current location about a year ago. Princes Street was one of Edinburgh's main streets and a great place for visibility. Being there brought a lot more customers to the company and they were thinking of expanding their services by adding photography.

 

#

 

Although Rey loved her current job, she still wanted to be a primary school teacher. With the twins starting school, Rey decided to go back to college to get her degree certificate.

Her classes would start in September and she could not be more nervous about it. Finn was her main supporter in this decision, he knew how much she always wanted to teach children.

Since her classes were during the day, it would not interfere with her time with the twins, that made her calmer about it. Being separated from them was something that mattered a lot to Rey, she wanted to be there for all their moments. Looking at their picture on her desk, made her miss them.

 _Gosh! this is going to be an emotional day, isn’t it?_ She thought to herself already knowing the answer.

Her thoughts turned to Kylo, the school had asked about him and Rey explained the situation briefly, not wanting to keep any secrets. The children knew they had a father, so she had no need to hide anything. With Finn in their lives, the twins never questioned her much about their real father. She felt grateful again that day for having Finn in their lives.

Even so, sometimes she wondered what it would be like if Kylo were in their lives. Rey never thought he'd be a bad parent, however, she now know they weren’t prepared to be parents together when she got pregnant.

She loved him and she always will, but their relationship was very intense and impulsive from the beginning. So Rey knew they would eventually break up if he had stayed with her and the children and none of them deserved an unhappy life.

Rey thought back about the news she read about him four years ago, he seemed to have taken the right turn in his life and she could only wish he was happy now, wherever he was.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> Well, you guys, I guess I'm in the pain train... 
> 
> I'm so sorry T.T. I promise it won't take long for them to find each other again.


	4. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can it be called a reunion when both parts never meet each other before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Some fluff and fun is always good.
> 
> My love to all the ladies on [ The Writing Den](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/)  
> Special thanks to [inexplicabletrousers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inexplicabletrousers) for keeping up with my endless questions, [RebelRebel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelRebel) for answering my marketing doubts (super noob me) and [INTPSlytherin_reylove97](https://archiveofourown.org/users/INTPSlytherin_reylove97) for helping me come up with Finn and Rey's company name! You guys are the best. 
> 
> Thanks to all my readers!!!! All my chapter are for you guys
> 
> [Reylohope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reylohope) my baby T.T, thank you for giving me so much love! You guys should read my gift [CAROL'S CAKES](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15480234), it is so beautiful! 
> 
> Have fun!!!!

**_4 years ago_ **

 

Rey was having a normal morning, cooking her family breakfast while listening to the news on TV. Distracted in her task, she heard something that caught her attention. Rey turned and that was when she saw him, the same face she thought would never see again, _Kylo..._

The headline said “ ** _First Order Scandal!_** ”

 "At the end of last night, the First Order Investments president, Snoke,  was arrested  at a private airport here in Manhattan trying to escape the country  .  Snoke and others members of the company are being accused of several tax crimes, along with involvement in a secret dark cult  .  It seems that president Snoke was already under surveillance for a long time, but it was thanks to the company's vice president, Kylo Ren, who according to our sources has being working with the authorities for two years, that they got the necessary evidence .

Unfortunately, Kylo  was injured  during Snoke's escape attempt last night. the company's vice president  was shot  in the abdomen. the circumstances surrounding it have not yet  been clarified  . Kylo Ren  was taken  to hospital - " Rey felt her body going numb.

 

_He's hurt... Kylo's hurt..._ Tears began to fall without her noticing.

 

* * *

 

 

**_Present_ **

 

After breakfast, Poe and Kylo decided it would be nice to stop by the new office to check progress. It wasn’t far from the hotel so they would walk there. When they left the hotel, Poe  suddenly  stopped and began to laugh  hysterically .

"What are you doing?" Ben asked, completely confused.

It took a while to Poe stop laughing. After wiping away the tears, he picked up his cell phone."Can you move more to the side please?" He gestured to Ben to go farther to the right.

"Why would I do that?" Ben asked  matter-of-factly.

Poe ignored his friend's protests and moved to get a good angle. "This is so going to be my Christmas card this year.“

Impatient with Poe's lack of response, Ben decided to turn around, searching for the reason behind his friend's insane actions, that was when he noticed the two restaurants across street .

 

_**The Huxley** _

_**Kyloe** _

 

The Huxley was on the ground floor, it had a simple gray painted front walls, huge front windows and a minimalist black lettering sign  just  above the entrance door  .  Just  above it, it was Kyloe, its front walls was even simpler than The Huxley’s,  just  the building’s normal stone work. What made Kyloe’s front more extra was the fake cow half-way out the window right above its sign.

"You are unbelievable!" Ben rolled his eyes, abandoning Poe on the sidewalk.

Poe  was distracted  , so he didn’t notice Ben walking away."I'll  totally  make it my background." Noting Ben's lack of response, he raised his head. "Come on, you have to admit it's a hilarious coincidence." Poe said, after finally catching up with his angry friend.

"We should start looking for a marketing agency, the launch is in a month." Ben said ignoring Poe’s words.

"Despite your remarks about how I spend my time in here,” Poe assumed a accusing tone. ”I have you know that I gathered a lot of information about marketing agencies around here. there is a one on this street that it is well recommended, Rebel Media. I liked their name and their portfolio it's very wide."

Rebel Media sounded familiar to Ben, but he couldn’t remember exactly where he'd heard it.  "When we get to the office, you can show me the companies you've selected and if Rebel Media is  really  the best, we can call their office later today ."

 

*

Over lunch, Poe went out to buy food for them since the new office needed more attention than they expected. On his way to the restaurant, he decided to stop at Rebel Media to see if he could talk to someone. Poe always preferred to interact face to face with people rather than can call or email them.

The company reception was very organized, but cozy at the same time.  Campaign’s photos decorated the walls and two frosty looking glass doors on the side behind the reception, leading inside.

Poe approached the receptionist, a blond young girl with her hair up in two unusual buns. "Good afternoon sir, how can you help?" Kaydel asked  politely.

"Good afternoon... Kaydel" He said reading her name tag.  "I come here to learn more about your service- " He cut short his speech when he saw his new neighbor coming out the glass door.

"K, I'm going out for lunch." Finn had his eyes on his cell phone so he didn’t notice Poe.

"You work here?!" Poe's voice made Finn take his eyes off the phone screen. Poe was looking at him with a charming smile and a surprised expression.

"H-Hi, yes I work here..." He replied  nervously ."Actually, I am Finn by the way, one of the owners." Finn held out his hand to greet his neighbor.

"Poe." He greeted back taking Finn’s hands.

Finn noticed that Poe seemed to be as happy about this random encounter as himself and that made him feel more confident . "What brings you to our agency?" He added, letting go of Poe’s hands.

"Well, the short answer is that my company is opening a new branch here in Edinburgh and we still don’t have a marketing company to help promote our business  . Since I've heard good things about your company, I decided to stop by,  maybe  set up a meeting."

Feeling bold, Finn proposed "I'm going to eat now, if you have time we can talk over lunch."

"Of course. that is a great idea because I'm also on my lunch break." Poe answered almost immediately.

Finn started walking towards the exit with Poe by his side.  "I usually have lunch at the Scottish Cafe & Restaurant, which is in the Scottish National Gallery, it has a great view ."

"Sounds wonderful." Poe said smiling  broadly  at Finn.

Both of them were so distracted that failed to notice the knowing look that Kaydel was giving them.

Their lunch wasn’t too long, but  highly  productive. They talked  mostly  about business. Toward the end of lunch, Finn and Poe talked a little about their personal lives.  Finn told how he came to Scotland, about his nephews, Rey and Poe told about his Latin background, his business partners who are also his best friends and even showed the hilarious photo he took earlier of Ben .

 

*

 

When Poe was arriving at the office he remembered about Ben's lunch. Ben was also starving when he left, so he got ready while he approached the office door. Of all the scenarios Poe expected to find when he got in, the one in front of his eyes was definitely not one of them.

Ben was sitting at one of the few free tables with a paper napkin wrapped around his collar, one of his big hands holding a half eaten Big Mac, sauce all over his fingers and mouth, other hand digging the fries mount that appeared to  be made  of three large portions of fries, a huge cup of soda in front of him and a McNuggets  portion  not far from the fries’ mount .

"You're a such messy eater." Poe was looking at him, completely incredulous.”Since when do you eat fast food?”

"This is your fault!" Ben said shooting daggers at him, while ate a large amount of fries. "Where were you?" He added irritated, with his mouth full.

Poe was feeling a little bit guilty about Ben’s current situation."I'm sorry.  I went to that marketing agency we talked earlier and it happened that the company’s owner is my new neighbor, the one I greeted while talking on the phone with you ."

Ben grunted in response for him to continue while chew four McNuggets at once.

"So, he was going out for lunch and invited me so we could discuss a good marketing strategy." Poe, without intending to, smiled  softly  as he remembered the lunch with Finn. that smile didn’t go unnoticed by Ben, he knew Poe well enough to know that it hadn’t been a simple business lunch for Poe.

He decided to tease his business partner in retaliation. "So you left me hungry to go on a date?"

Poe rolled his eyes."It was a business meeting."

"Unhum." Ben hummed not believing a word that Poe said. He shoved the rest of his Big Mac in the mouth, making the mess around his mouth even worst.

"You're a mess, go wash up." Poe said raising his hand to cover the sight in front of him. His friend wasn’t the most gracious when it came to eating without cutlery. "There are so many restaurants nearby, why didn't you eat in one of them?"

Ben started to lick his fingers to irritate his friend a little more. "It was faster."

Poe decided to ignore Ben's attempt to annoy him.  "Anyway, lunch was very productive and I  strongly  believe that Finn's company is a great choice to take care of our advertisement  . I arranged a meeting with him and his partner, in the afternoon on Friday!" He raised his voice at the end of the sentence for Ben to hear from the bathroom. Poe was very surprised how  quickly  Ben managed to finish the food in the few minutes they interacted.

"Friday works for me." Ben said coming out of the bathroom with a wet towel in his hand. He tried to get the stain out of the sauce that had fallen on his pants. "Damn it."

Poe shook his head in disbelief. "Next time, eat in a restaurant."

"Next time don’t leave me hungry to go on a date." He answered back, narrowing his eyes at Poe. "You know what, I'm going to take a break now." Ben said while he passed by his friend towards the exit.

"It was not a date!" Poe shouted at his friend's back.

Ben chuckled at his friend's reaction but didn’t turn around. When he went out on the sidewalk, he took the time to look around. They were preparing for this launch for six months now, it was a big step. They were all happy and Ben had good feeling about the Scottish capital.

While he was contemplating his surrounds, a guy stopped and patted his shoulder. Ben turned his gaze to the guy.

"You're looking a wee bit lost pal, can I help you?" the man asked Ben, in a strong Scottish accent.

Ben  was amused by  the kindness of the man. He knew that Scottish people could be very polite and helpful, but he didn’t expect this. "Thank you for your kindness, but I was  just  enjoying the view." He replied  politely  with a small smile on his face.

"No problem. Have a nice day." the man nodded and left Ben on the sidewalk surprised by the encounter.

 

_Yeah, this city is definitely a good place to be._

 

*

 

The day passed relatively quickly for Rey, she spent most of the time finishing some projects and training the person who was going to take over her place when her classes started. Phasma proved to be very efficient, absorbing Rey's teachings quickly, which made Rey calmer about her partial departure from the company.

Despite the busy day, Rey couldn’t divert her thoughts from the twins, she missed them. Finn mocked her all the way to their school, but she knew he missed them too. When they got there, Rey  practically  ran out of the car. She found them playing with other children.

Mingus and Luna noticing her presence turned, flashing her with their toothless smiles.

"How was your day my loves?" Rey crouched to give then a tight hug."Mama missed you."

"We _miss_ you too Mama." Mingus hugged her  tightly .

"Yes!" Luna  vigorously  added."We did a lot of fun stuff Mama, but I _miss_ you."

"We learned to count to ten." Mingus  excitedly  showed his hands to Rey.

"This is great, my love." Rey replied kindly to her son."Uncle Finn is waiting for us to go eat, are you guys ready?"

"Yeah!" Both shouted, hugging their mother  tightly  again.

It was in the middle of the day, but Rey and Finn had planned this a few months ago so they could leave work early and celebrate that important day .

 

*

 

Arriving home, Poe noticed Finn's car parked, so he had the idea to invite Finn over to eat dinner with him and Ben.

He marched  confidently  to his neighbor's door, ringing the doorbell. It took a couple of minutes before Finn opened the door with a child on his lap.

"Poe!" Finn looked  pleasantly  surprised.

"Good evening, I thought I'd come over and invite you to dinner. I'm making dinner for my friend." Poe said, gazing at the small bundle in Finn’s lap. "Hi! You must be Mingus. I'm Poe, your uncle’s neighbor." He held out his hand for the boy.

Mingus  shyly  hid his face in Finn's neck. "Sorry, he's kind shy with new people."

"No problem, I'm sure we'll get along with time."

"Thank you for inviting me, but as you can see, I'm taking care of my -"

"Why don’t you bring them?" Poe said hasty. "there is food for everyone and the kids will love my dog."

The dog mention made Mingus lift his head, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I can see someone  is interested ." Poe teased the little boy. "Do you want to meet BB8?"

Mingus nodded, black locks falling into his eyes.

"So, what do you tell me?" Poe asked Finn again.

Before Finn could respond, a small sweet voice talked behind Finn."Can we go Uncle Finn?" Both Finn and Poe failed to notice Luna approaching.

"I believe  you have your answer." Finn replied to Poe, stroking Luna’s head."I'll get them ready. Do you need any help preparing dinner?"

"No, I have everything under control." Poe smiled."I'll wait for you in half an hour, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes." Finn smiled back.

 

*

 

Ben had spent the whole day teasing his friend about lunch, until Poe cracked and offered to make dinner for him. Poe's cooking skills was almost legendary among his friends, so of course Ben accepted it.

Ben had to take a taxi to his friend's house since he left earlier to start dinner preparations. At this hour, traffic wasn’t intense, making the trip very fast. Arriving there, he noticed how warm and inviting Poe's neighborhood was.

_She would have liked it here._ It was the end of an exhausting day, making hard for him to keep his thoughts about Rey away. Although they met in New York, Ben knew Rey fit better in a quieter, warmer family neighborhood like this one. Pushing his thoughts away, he began to walk to Poe’s house.

Approaching the door, he could hear sounds of laughter, child voices and BB8’s barks. Ben  clearly  wasn’t the only visitor. He rang the bell curious to know who would be accompanying them for dinner.

The door opened, but  strangely  enough, he saw no one at his line of sight. Ben caught a movement from the corner of his eye, looking down he saw a small girl coming out from behind the door.

The little girl reminded of Rey very much.  Large hazel eyes and freckled face,  however  , her head  was adorned  with beautiful silky black locks waves like his  . Ben’s mind went back for one of his constant thoughts, if he and Rey had had a child, would  certainly  look like this girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> So... Ben and his kids... 
> 
> Reylo is almost here you guys! I can't wait for it. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr [kpopandstarwarswhynot](https://kpopandstarwarswhynot.tumblr.com/)


	5. A real reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is definitely a reunion when both parts already knew each other. All that remains to know is whether it is a good or a bad one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all my readers and my ladies on [ The Writing Den](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/)  
> . 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

"Are you Uncle Poe's friend?" The little girl's voice was sweet, but had a strong and inquisitive tone.

"Yes, I am." Ben said, amused by her fierceness."May I come in?" He smiled at her.

Before she could respond, Poe appeared from the living room entrance on the left, down the hallway. "You're finally here. Thank you Luna for answering the door for me." He smiled at little girl and she  lightly  blushed in response.

When Ben entered, he could see over Poe's shoulder, a boy identical to the little girl near BB8. Poe noticed his gaze and turned. "And that's Mingus, Luna's twin." Luna ran to her brother, who was next to the living room entrance. "They're Finn's nephews, my neighbor." Poe said closing the door. "I invited them to dine with us. Kids, this is my friend Ben, Ben these are Mingus and Luna." He gestured between the kids and Ben. 

Ben noticed both of them looking at him from top to bottom with curiosity. He knew his height could be intimidating and even frightening  to children. Moving closer to them, he knelt to be at their height, stroking BB8's head. "Hey buddy, I can see you made new friends." Ben decided would be wiser to approach BB8 first. "Hi, I'm Ben, it's nice to meet you guys." He greeted the children with a smile, extending his hand to them.

"They're shy, so - "Poe paused in mid-sentence as he noticed the twins reaching out to grab Ben's hand. Ben noticed how small their hands were in comparison to his. Both children shook Ben's hand  gently , giggling at him.

Closer now, Ben could see subtle differences between. Luna looked like Rey, and Mingus,  oddly  , looked like him as a child.  His mother had pictures of him as a child scattered throughout his family house, so he knew very well what he looked like young  . He  was intrigued  to know who their parents were.

Ben saw a person approaching his side, watching their interaction. He turned his head  slightly  to see who it was. From Poe's description earlier, Ben knew it was Finn. He had a surprised expression on his face.

"You must be Finn. Hi, I'm Ben." He got up to greet Finn, but kept the twin's hands on his.

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you." Finn stepped out of his shocked state and greeted Ben back. "You must be very good with children. It's the first time I see them so sociable with a complete stranger, no offense."  For some reason, that Ben couldn't pinpoint at the moment, it was good to know Mingus and Luna felt comfortable around him .

Poe stopped at the living room entrance. "Dinner is almost ready, come sit on the couch." With that, the children tugged Ben  lightly  by the hand taking him to the couch. Finn and BB8 behind them, the first still incredulous.

Every part of the living room  was decorated  with tasteful wood furniture, art pieces and family photos . Ben could see Poe's touch on everything. On the end of it, there was dining and a counter which divided the kitchen and the dining room. Poe walked into the kitchen with Finn behind him. Ben sat on the couch while Mingus and Luna played with BB8 on the floor.

The mouth watering food aroma was filling the room."Are you making chicken soup?" Ben asked, the emptiness in his stomach starting to hurt.

"You know it." Poe said  smugly . Chicken soup was Ben's favorite recipe and Poe knew it. "And, you're not the only one who loves it." He nodded at Mingus and Luna.

"Do you like chicken soup too?" Ben asked them surprised. He thought kids preferred unhealthy things like candies, chocolates.

"Yeah! It's our favorite recipe Mama does." Luna replied to Ben. "She says the secret ingredient is love."

"She said it was our dad's favorite food too." Mingus added. "Uncle Finn, do you think Mama would mind if Ben came to have dinner with us?!" He asked louder so Finn could hear from the kitchen.

Finn appeared at the kitchen's door, " I don't think  so, we can ask her later."

"She isn't joining us for dinner?" Ben felt curious.

Finn looked at him, "No, she had a appointment, but you're meeting her Friday."

"She couldn't even take me to my first piano lesson today." Mingus sighed  deeply , looking down.

"You know she would have taken us if she could. She took us out to eat something yummy after our first day of school today." Luna hugged her brother, smiling.

"You're right." Mingus hugged his sister back.

Ben contemplated the exchange with fondness. He was happy to see that Mingus had someone like Luna to take care of him.

"Both of you take piano lessons?" Ben asked them.

"No, I have jiu-jitsu training while he has piano lessons." Luna replied. "We were going to start taking swimming lessons with Mama because she doesn't know either."

"Doctor said it would be good for my asthma."

Ben  was surprised  at how honest the children were. They talked about their lives with him so  easily  , he was having fun. He didn't mind listening to their stories, in his childhood he never had anyone to listen about his day. His parents were always busy or away from home, so Ben was lonely most of the part. He promised himself when he had a family, he would always have time to listen to his children. And although Mingus and Luna weren't his, if they wanted to share their day with him, Ben would listen  gladly .

 

*

 

"So what's his story?" Finn asked  curiously  as he watched Ben interact with his niece and nephew. "He seems to be very good with children, does he have any?"  "He had a girlfriend a couple of years ago, but unfortunately he made a huge mistake, costing him their relationship  . Ben says he still loves her, but  I think  he  just  feels guilty."

Finn nodded at Poe's answer not knowing what to say next. "And you, what's your story? Do you have a girlfriend?" Poe decided to pry a little bit since they were already on the topic. "No, hm, I actually like men so..." Finn waited for Poe's reaction, avoiding to look at him.

"I understand." Sensing Finn's nervousness Poe added, "I like men too, by the way."

When Finn looked again, Poe was smiling flirtatious at Finn.

 

*

 

Dinner was very agitated, Mingus and Luna chatting  eagerly  with the adults. Finn and Ben had more time to interact which each other. Finn  was impressed by  how good Ben was with the twins, so he made a mental note to put on a good word about him with Rey.

After dinner, Finn insisted on helping to clean the dishes, so Ben ended up taking care of at the children again. They sat on the couch, one on each side of Ben, the twins asked him to read the book that their mother had bought. Picking it up, he  quickly  recognized it, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Ben loved The Hobbit since he was a kid. Mingus and Luna leaned  enthusiastically  on Ben, so he started reading,

 

" _In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort..._ "

 

After five minutes, Ben noticed the children had fallen asleep in his lap, their small faces turned to him.

"Well, I'm surprised they took so long to fall asleep." Finn said approaching. " I believe  this is my cue, I still have to take them to my sister's house."

"Isn't she coming to get them?"

"No, her meeting will take longer than she thought it would, she sent me a text during dinner. They would usually sleep at my house, but they have classes tomorrow morning."

"I can help you get them to your car and into your sister's house, so you don't have to wake them up." Ben offered Finn kindly, feeling sympathy for his situation.

"That would be great, actually. I don't like waking them up, but they aren't as small or light as before." Finn chuckled  slightly . He went to pick Mingus up and Ben mirrored his action picked Luna.

Poe entered the room, Finn was the first to speak again, approaching the host. "Thanks for dinner, I had a lot of fun tonight." He reached for Poe's arm and gave a gentle squeeze.

"I am grateful for your presence and the help after." Poe squeezed Finn's arm back. Ben watched them with a smile on his face, he was happy for his friend. Poe glanced  briefly  at Ben, who returned his gaze with a suggestive smirk.

Mingus stirred a little in Finn's lap, breaking the adults' interaction. " I think  it's time to go." Finn told Ben.

"You and the kids are always welcome,  maybe  next time your sister will come too." Poe started walking toward the front door.

"We can eat something Friday after our meeting. The twins will be with their great-grandfather this weekend." Finn walked out of the house.

"It's a date." Poe gave Finn one of his charming smiles, making the man blush. Mingus moved again in Finn's lap, and he gave Poe an apologetic glance.

"See you tomorrow, thanks for the dinner." Ben thanked Poe before following Finn.

Poe waved in response while stood at the door watching them leave.  He couldn't be happier with how this day turned out, Finn had been a great surprise and he couldn't wait for more nights like that .

 

*

 

Ben helped Finn take the twins into the car and waited for him as he grab their things inside the house. When Finn came back talking on the cell phone.

"Mingus and Luna are already in the car, Ben helped me put them up. You don't have to come here, go home and I'll meet you there." Finn putted the children's stuffs in the trunk. "Okay Peanut, I'll see you at home." He hung up his phone. "My sister is already going home so you  are released  from your duties tonight." Finn smiled at Ben, "I can drive you to the hotel if you don't mind going to my sister's house first."

"I'm glad to hear you have help, and you don't have to, I can get a taxi."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind, you helped a lot."

"I'm sure, but thanks for the offer. My evening was a lot better with you guys there." Ben smiled  genuinely  at Finn.

"The kids  really  liked you, you know?" Finn got inside the car. "Well,  I think  this is where we said goodbye, thanks for the help Ben."

"You're welcome Finn, good night." Ben closed the car door and gave one last look at the children, they slept  peacefully . That image made Ben's heart feel lighter and warmer.

Finn ended up arriving at Rey's house at the same time as she, so she went to the car to help.

"They  really  did fall asleep, hm?" Rey picked Luna up. She froze in place when a familiar scent filled her nostrils.

Kylo...It couldn't be his ... She feel her heart rising.

Finn noticed his sister reaction. "What is it?" He stopped by her side.

"N-N-Nothing, a different perfume on Luna." She brought Luna close so Finn could smell it. He didn't have to get too close to know whose perfume it was.

"It's Ben's. He carried her to the car. Mingus must have it too, because both slept on Ben's lap after dinner while Ben read The Hobbit for them." Finn saw Rey's surprised expression, her mouth making a O shape.

"They don't usually like strangers, this Ben must have made a good impression on them."

"Unhum, I  was surprised  too. Ben was great to them though, he  barely  interacted with me and Poe."

"Wait, you do not think it's one of those creepy guys do it?" Rey looked worried for a second.

"No! And you know very well that I would _never_ let him get close to the twins if he was shady." Finn felt offended."Mingus and Luna were the ones who took the initiative to talk to him. Ben was only kind, giving them attention." He walked around the car to get Mingus.

"I'm sorry Finn, that wasn't what I meant. I know you would never put them in danger." She followed him with Luna on her lap, feeling guilty for her previous choice of words. "I was  just  surprised by it. This Ben seems like a nice guy" She tried to soften the mood.

"He is. Ben  really  treated them super well and helped me." Finn understood that his sister had no intention of offending him. "Let's get them inside,  shall  we?"

They entered in silence, putting the children on their respective bedrooms.

"So how was Mingus's piano lesson and Luna's jiu-jitsu training?" Rey asked Finn as they went down again. She felt guilty for not having been there. Her cousin's wedding was in the other weekend and she was the maid of honor. Which meant a lot of decisions to make with the bride.

"Everything was great, Mingus' teacher said he learns very fast and has a great ear for melody. With time she is sure he will become a amazing musician. Luna kicked ass at her training as usual, that girl reminds me of you on the Muay Thai days. " He replied sitting on the couch  with her.

Rey chuckled at Finn's statement.  She was proud to hear her children's achievements, but she wouldn't inquire further from Finn, wanting to hear everything from her own children mouths tomorrow .

"I'm glad to hear that, now tell me about dinner. More  specifically  about you and your hot neighbor."

"Dinner was great." Finn said, his voice sounding dreamy Rey noticed. "Poe is a great guy, a phenomenal cook,  seriously  you have to taste his food. It was the best chicken soup I've ever eaten in my life."

"Better than mine?" Rey felt a little offended.

Finn grab both of her hands. "Peanut, I love you."

Rey gasped, "You traitor!" She slapped him on the arm. "Trading me for the first beautiful smile that appears in front of you."

"It's a great smile." Finn teased her, she slapped his arm more. "Stop hitting me, woman."

"You're lucky I'm  just  slapping you. I should kick you out of my house." Rey threatened.

He laughed  smugly . "You would never do it, you love me."

"Whatever." Rey crossed her arms and looked away, annoyed by her friend cockiness.

"Anyway, I invited Poe to eat dinner with us Friday after our meeting."

An idea crossed in Rey's mind. "I'll finally be able to meet this Poe, tell him some of your old stories." She gave him a sly smile.

"You would not."

"Try me." She said  defiantly , raising her eyebrow.

"What do you want, Kenobi?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"If I say that my recipe is better than his, I'll promise not to tell him embarrassing stories about you, agreed?"

Finn sighed defeated. "Your soup is better than Poe's." He said expressionless. Rey ignored his tone doing a victory dance.

"Ha! I knew it, I always knew it. Take that hot guy that I don't know yet."

Finn laughed at his sister."You know you  basically  blackmailed me, right?"

Rey stopped dancing and gave him an annoyed look."It's not important."

"If it's any consolation, Mingus and Luna still prefer yours. They even invited Ben to come and eat here one day,  apparently  his favorite dish as well."

Rey looked at him puzzled. "They  really  liked this Ben guy, hm? Now I'm curious to meet him."

Finn's eyes widened in excitement, he had a wide grin."He is tall, dark and handsome. Your children adored him, and the cherry on top, he is single."

Rey rolled his eyes at her brother eagerness. It wasn't the first time he tried to match her with someone. "You know I'm not looking for a date Finn." She got up going into the kitchen.

"Rey, angel, the last time you dated was with the father of your children."  Finn said with a sassy tone, sitting on a stool in the kitchen island.

"You don't even know if he's my type." Rey turned her back to him, looking for her chamomile tea bag.

"I never met Kylo, how can I know your type?"  Finn tried not to sound disappointed, but Rey knew that her choice to keep details the relationship with Kylo to herself made him sad . "I'm sure Ben is better than him anyway, he likes your children to begin with."

Rey was happy that  Finn couldn't see her, his words made her heart felt like if it had  been pierced by  a thousand needles. The fact Kylo never looked for them always left a sour taste in her mouth. Pushing those feelings aside, Rey turned to Finn again.

"Liking children and wanting to date a single mom of two are different things. Do you want tea?"

"No, thanks. I actually have to go." He leaned forward on the kitchen counter. "So... about Ben?"

"Finn, I'm not interested in anyone..." She avoided her brother's pleading eyes.

"Okay." Finn raised his hands in defeat, but Rey could see his eyes glowing, so she knew he was planning something."But... if the vibe between you guys at friday night's dinner is good, would you give him a chance?"

"You don't know if he'd want to know me." She replied him as if it were obvious.

"He would have to be stupid to not  be interested  in you." He said mimicking her tone.

"Okay, okay. If, by some miracle, he  is interested  in me, I'll _consider_."

"Thank me on your wedding" Finn walked over to her, hugging and kissing her cheek. "Now that my work here  is done , I can go home. I'll see you at work tomorrow, okay peanut?"

She rolled her eyes, but kissed his cheek. "See you tomorrow."

 

*

 

Later in bed, Rey thought about what Finn said about her omission. When she started dating Kylo, she was super happy, her first reaction was to share her happiness with Finn.  Her first date with Kylo, which ended in a disastrous way, was the first time Finn had criticized their relationship  .   Kylo was always an unusual guy, Rey noticed very fast that he was quite inexperienced when it came to relationship, almost naive, she liked that about him  . Finn  on the other hand  , always seemed to judge his actions from a harsher point-of-view.  She knew it was only his protective brother instinct talking, but over time she began to omit more from Finn to avoid conflict .

Rey kept hidden from Finn that she moved to Kylo's apartment. At that time she thought it was best to tell him only after already living some time with her boyfriend.

When Rey showed at Finn's door pregnant, she was sure Finn would never let her hear the end of his complaints, but she was wrong  .  Finn had asked about what happened, he questioned who the child's father was, but never judged her by  accidentally  getting pregnant  . She realized her thoughts about Finn had been  strongly  compromised by her desire to be with Kylo.

Rey apologized to Finn countless times over the years for her past actions,  however  , she continued to keep Kylo's identity for  .   She wanted to leave him in the past and if Finn knew who he was, he would end up knocking on Kylo's door and that was the last thing Rey wanted .

Listening to Finn sounding so betrayed and sad today brought back an overwhelming wave of guilt  .  He was her best friend, brother, almost a father to her children and Rey's actions were nothing more than hurtful to him .

That moment in bed with tears streaming down her face and guilt consuming  quickly   her insides like wild fire, she decided it was time to close this part of her story and tell Finn who the twin's father was .

 

*

 

 

The week passed  quickly  , Mingus and Luna became  easily  accustomed to the hectic school routine and extracurricular activities  .   Rey had meetings for her cousin's wedding almost every day, but she didn't miss her kids piano class and jiu-jitsu training  .  Rey couldn't find time to talk to Finn, they would have time when the children were visiting her grandfather, so she wasn't frustrated by the lack of time during the week .

It was Friday, Obi-Wan was in charge of picking up the kids at school, since Rey and Finn had a meeting with Poe and his partner, Ben, late in the afternoon .

Rey  was excited  to meet Poe, Finn didn't stop talking to him all week. Poe and Finn had dinner together Wednesday and things between the two were doing well. She was less excited, but still curious, it was to meet Ben, Finn also spent the week giving hints about Poe's partner.

At the time of the meeting Rey was still attending another customer outside the office, the place wasn't far away but she would be late for meeting  . Phasma, Rose and Finn were there, so the meeting wasn't delayed.  Rey participation it would be more for formalities, because Phasma would be the one taking over the project .

When Rey arrived at the meeting room she was ten minutes late, she didn't like it, but there was nothing she could do about it  .  Her hand was on the doorknob when it opened  quickly  inside, causing Rey to lose her balance, falling forward  . Instead of hiting the floor, her face hitted a man's chest, his arms wrapped around her waist holding her in place. The man was tall and broad.  His masculine, earthy scent perfume was indistinguishable, this was Ben, the man Finn spent all week talking  . Rey blushed when she came to that conclusion.  She was creating courage to look up when a deep, husky voice, she would recognize anywhere, came out the man's mouth, making her look up  hastily .

"Rey...?" Kylo was there, holding her, looking at her with wide eyes, saying her name in a soft and surprised tone. Rey could feel his heart mimicking hers, beating with strong and fast thuds. 

Hearing her name from his lips, his hot breath against her face, his overwhelming scent, were making her head spin . It was Finn's voice that made her snap out of her shocked state and finally get out of Kylo's embrace. Rey body missed the warmth of his body.

"Do you know Rey?" Finn was sitting close to the door, so he had a perfect view of their interaction.

"Rey? Ben's Rey?" It was Poe's turn to interfere. "Is your sister the same Ben's Rey?" He directed his question to Finn.

"What's going on?" Phasma asked sitting on the back.

Before anyone else could say anything Rey came out of her frozen state, muttering, "I need some air..."

Rey was already near the front desk when she heard Kylo calling to her. "Rey, wait!"

Arriving on the sidewalk, she stopped  abruptly  , bending down, hands on her knees, trying to breathe again  .  With a million thoughts going through her mind, she heard thr company door open and footsteps behind her  . Before Kylo could reach her, two small bodies collapsed against Rey's legs.   Unexpectedly  , Rey found herself looking  her children's faces, their expression were a mixture of happiness and concern .

Mingus raised his hands to envelop Rey's face. "Are you all right Mama?"

She tried to smile. "Yes, Mama is fine." Rey stroked her son's head as she got up again. "What are my angels doing here?"

"I brought them to see you before I took them home." Obi-Wan said entering her line of sight. Grandpa Kenobi  suddenly  looked over her shoulders."Who is he?"

Rey had forgotten for a second that Kylo was behind her. Panic started taking over her body. Mingus and Luna, looked at Kylo and smiled, leaving Rey's side and ran to him. "Ben!"

She turned, the twins were standing near Kylo, looking up at thr man who was their father,  unknowingly . Kylo looked between her and the children, shocked. He stroked the top of their heads. "Hi..." His voice strained, giving them a gentle smile. Rey didn't miss his hands trembling before they landed on her kids head.

She jumped when her grandfather touched her arm. "Is everything okay? Who is he?" Obi-Wan repeated his question  gently .

Rey putted her hand over the one holding her arm. "Their father..." Her voice trembling. "Can you take them home? I need to solve this." She asked with pleading a tone. Her grandfather nodded in response, pulling her into a hug and kissing her head's crown.

Leaving her grandfather's gentle embrace, Rey felt a courage taking over her body and decided approching the three figures in front of her . 

Kylo lift his gaze to her as she stood behind the twins, his eyes filled with an emotion that she couldn't discern at moment . Rey ignored it for a second, turning her attention to Mingus and Luna. "Kids, Mama need to end her meeting with Ben. Grandpa Kenobi is going to take you guys home, okay?"

Mingus and Luna nodded to her in response.

"Now, say good-bye to _Ben_." It took more strength than Rey imaged to say his new name.

The children hugged Ben's leg, glaring at him. "Bye Ben." They said in unison.  "Mama, can Ben have dinner with us sometime?" Luna asked. Her hazel eyes, matching Rey's, filled with hope and anticipation.

"We will see about that okay?" Rey didn't know what was going to happen, but she couldn't crush her daughter's feelings. "Now go to your grandfather." She used her mother voice to urge them. Mingus and Luna hugged her by the legs too and ran toward her grandfather. Rey looked back and waved goodbye.

"We need to talk." She spoke  firmly  to Kylo.

"Yes, we do." He matched her tone, but with a hint of hurt in his voice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> So...The chapter everyone was waiting for (including myself). 
> 
> My reylo heart is dying <3 so anxious for the next chapter.  
> Paint traiin is back...
> 
>  
> 
> [](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/902/498/98c.gif)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Love you all. Please leave a comment, your feedback is so important for me!


	6. Nothing Like The Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many.”
> 
> ― Phaedrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning** : Talk about abortion and mentions of panic attack on this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to all my readers and the ladies on [ The Writing Den](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Angst Train!
> 
>  
> 
> [](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/902/498/98c.gif)  
> 

Until his business meeting at Rebel Media, Ben's Friday had been quite normal. He had coffee with Poe after reading his emails and walked to the office.

The week went by faster than he'd expected. After his arrival, the things on the new branch seemed to have begun to move faster. Poe liked to tease him by saying that he was very scary, so people hurried to full fill his requests.

Poe had been much happier since Monday's dinner, Ben noticed. Since he also liked Finn, Ben was happy for his friend. Unfortunately for him, Poe was determined to see him involved in a romantic relationship as well. He spent all these last days dropping indirect hints about Finn's sister.

Thanks to all this pressure, Ben wasn't very excited about their dinner. He knew that a reality with Rey would never be a possibility, but he didn't want to meet anyone else. Even though Ben had loved to spend his time with Mingus and Luna, he didn't want to date their mother.

When he arrived at the meeting, Ben was relieved to be informed by Finn that his sister wasn't there yet. In the last few hours, Ben began to feel anxious about this mysterious woman. He would typically be indifferent to Poe's attempts, but for some unknown reason, it was not the case. It appeared that another woman, Phasma, would be taking care of their project with Finn, so the meeting began without Finn's sister.

The first few minutes were just an informal exchange of information about the services offered by both companies. Poe clarified a little about their line of work and Phasma suggested some advertising routes they could take that would fit their company's profile. During that time Ben felt his anxiety consuming him, his long legs were restless under the table and he caught himself more than once distracted looking at the door. By the fourth time, he decided it would better to go in the bathroom and throw cold water on his face.

Ben excused himself and reached for the doorknob. When he tried to twist it, he felt some resistance. It made him put a little more strength to open it. As a result, he ended up pulling the woman on the other side, causing her to stumble and hit his chest. His arms wrapped around her small frame as a reflex to help keep her in place. He looked down, and Ben couldn't believe his eyes.

Right there in his arms, is the woman he has been dreaming for the past six years. His heart froze for a moment before you start frantically beating inside his rib cage. Her signature earthy perfume mixed with sweet-scented hair care intoxicating the air around him, triggering an overwhelming amount of memories.

His mouth spoke before her brain could process what it was doing. "Rey...?" The knot in his throat not allowing his voice got louder than a whisper. Ben felt her body stiffen at the sound of his voice. Rey lifted her head, finally noticing who's arm she was in. Her hazel eyes wide in surprise, looking without blinking.

Finn's voice broke the spell they were on, Rey hurried out of his embrace, and he felt a little annoyed for the interruption. Ben had his full attention on Rey, so he didn't hear what the others said, but he managed to discern her next words. "I need some air..." He wasn't ready to see her go again.

Without thinking twice, he went after her. Ben managed to reach her as she stopped on the sidewalk, he watched her bend hands on her knees, breathless. He recognized the signs of a panic attack having had some himself throughout his life.

His stomach twisted painfully at the realization that it was his fault her present state, Ben had promised never to hurt her again. Whatever made him go after her was now completely gone, replaced by the cruel reality that he was nothing more than a dreadful memory to her. He had no right to pursue her, so he started to walkway and gave her space.

Before Ben could proceed with his plan, he saw two small creatures embrace Rey's legs. The abrupt meeting with Rey left him so startled that he had forgotten entirely about Mingus and Luna.

 _If she's their mother then_... Ben's head felt light.

He was lost in his thoughts when he heard two voices calling out to him. "Ben!" And then, in what Ben thought it was a blink of an eye, the twins were standing in front of him.

"Do you work with our mother?" Luna questioned, the same inquisitive tone from the first time they met. Ben's voice got caught in his throat, the air in and out of his lungs painfully through his heavy breathing.

Mingus and Luna looked at each other and back to him. "Ben, are you okay?" Now it was Mingus's turn to ask, frowning at Ben's pale face.

Ben didn't want to worry them, so he tried to calm down and forced some words out of his mouth, "I-I'm fine buddy" He smiled weakly at Mingus, "And yes, I'm working with your mom..." His voice was shaking. It was hard to keep tears from building up in his eyes.

For a long time, Ben thought his most painful fantasy was thinking about a reality where Rey would have chosen to keep their children. He tortured himself with it several times. Ben got lost in the illusion that he would find them, begged Rey to let him be in their lives, maybe she would even forgive him and give their relationship a new chance. He lived one of the darkest moments of his life when he let himself succumb to these fantasies. They were all he thought, not even in his dreams he was free of them.

Living in the apartment, he shared with Rey did not help. He often woke up swearing he could feel her weight on the mattress next to him, her smell on the freshly washed pillowcase. A few months after he had kicked Rey out of his apartment, he closed it and left. Ben hoped he would not be haunted by the ghost of her memory anymore. The apartment remains locked, but he never got the peace his mind was looking for.

Knowing now that his deepest and most painful desire was a reality, made him feel nothing but betrayed and hurt. Even though Rey hated him, he never imagined her lying about something as serious as deciding not to keep a child. However, when the reality that her actions were a consequence of his mistakes hit him, it tore his soul apart. Guilt replaced the feeling of betrayal.

His mind was all over the place when Rey approached. Ben could see she wasn't happy with their reunion. Hearing her speak his real name with such contempt only made his pain worse. Not even the warm embrace of his children could numb it.

Rey's expression and tone showed that she was determined to face this situation. Ben's pain was still dominant, but he was glad she was giving him a chance to talk.

He mustered all his strength and replied to her, "Yes, we do."

 

#

 

"I'm staying at The Balmoral hotel. It's going to be a more appropriate place for this conversation." To any outsider, Kylo might have seemed unfazed by the latest events, but Rey knew him better than anyone else. The pain in his dark eyes was making them look even deeper.

"I agree." She answered, sustaining his gaze.

Finn and Poe appeared as they began to move toward the hotel. "Where are you going?" Both asked at the same time, directing the question to their respective friends.

Poe pulled Kylo aside to talk, and Finn did the same with Rey. "Kylo and I need to talk." She could see that her brother wanted more explanation, but that wasn't the time. "I'll talk to you later, Finn."

"Are you sure about going with him?" Finn glanced at Kylo. Rey was thankful for his concern.

"We -" She looked at Kylo quickly. "We need to sort this out. Please, I'll talk to you later."

Finn looked at her for a moment and then nodded, "We will talk about this later." His tone and words challenged her to do otherwise.

Rey decided to ignore it for the moment, squeezing Finn's arm slightly to make it clear she understood.

She and Kylo started walking back toward the hotel, leaving their worried friends behind.

They walked apart all the way, with Kylo a few steps in advantage because of his long legs. Rey took the time to notice the differences in the man who walked, lost in his thoughts. In front of her. His hair was shorter, allowing his ears to appear between the dark locks. He had grown a goatee, and she thought it suited him. Kylo had changed so much within four years that she hadn't seen him. She wondered what else had changed in him over the years.

After arriving at the hotel, Rey used this small time frame until his room to try to understand Kylo's reactions. As much as he didn't like it, he always wore his heart on his sleeve, and she could see that he was deeply hurt. His feelings made no sense in her head.

They reached his floor, and Kylo opened the door for her. The room was one of the more luxury side. Its decor had a very traditional Scottish style. The suite had a king-size bed in the center, a small sofa and armchair near the window, a small desk closer to the bed, a large TV facing the bed, and a door to the bathroom decorated with Italian marble. Everything was meticulously clean. The bed had a new set of sheets on, yet, Kylo's scent still filled every part of the room.

The room had an incredible view of Rey's favorite places in Edinburgh, so she decided to sit on the sofa by the window. Kylo sat on the edge of the bed looking at Rey. They stayed like this for a while, until Kylo broke the silence."W-why- Are they our children?"

Rey frowned at him. "Why do you look so surprised? I told you I was pregnant."

"You said you were going to-" Kylo was stumbling over his words, hands running up and down on his tights. "You said you weren't going to keep them."

"What?!" Rey got up. "When did I say that?"

It was Kylo's turn to get up, "In your message, you said that you were going to take care of it. I thought you meant not keeping it." His voice was more steady, but he didn't raise his tone.

Rey knew him, so she knew he wasn't lying. Kylo thought she had chosen not to have their children.

She felt lost.

All the resentment Rey still had on Kylo was based on her belief that he knew about their children's existence, but never cared to look for them. That was all she believed for the last six years, finding it wasn't true caught her by surprise.

Sensing her confusion Kylo spoke again, "You thought I knew and I didn't care, didn't you?" He spoke cautiously. She could feel the pain in his voice.

Rey only nodded, turning to look at the window.

"You could have come to me..." His voice was a whisper. Rey was sure he didn't mean for her to listen.

In the sea of confusion, she was lost, his quiet words were like a beacon. Unfortunately, what was at the end of the path he indicated was only anger and pain.

"Could I?!" Rey was facing him again, her tone exhaling poison. "Because the last time we saw each other, you were calling an orphan whore and throwing my things out like garbage!"Her eyes clouded with anger."Tell me again that I should have gone after you after that night! TELL ME!" Her voice was becoming a guttural roar.

Rey knew he could not refute this, she continued, "I assume you discovered the truth after I left, so why didn't _you_ look for me? Huh? Why _you_ didn't look for me to at least apologize for all the shit you accused me of?! _Ben._ " She practically spat his name, her eyes filled with tears of anger.

"Because I couldn't!" Ben snapped.

Rey let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yeah, your precious job-"

"It wasn't because of that!" He interrupted her.

"So what was Kylo?!"

He took a while to answer. When he spoke again his voice was low "I'm sorry Rey. I'm so sorry for everything that I did and said to you that night."

She waited to hear those words come out of his mouth for a long time, but now what she wanted was to listen to his answer to her question.

"No!" she cried."You have no right to apologize." She hit his chest. "Tell me! Tell me why you didn't for us?" Rey continued to slap his chest, tears streaming down her face. "Tell me...Tell me..."

"I'm sorry, Rey..."

They stayed like that for a while, she begging for him to tell her while hitting his chest and he apologizing, denying the only thing she wanted, but was still afraid to hear.

Her punches were losing strength, her body unable to produce more tears. Rey didn't notice when Ben wrapped her in his arms, her mind beginning to calm down after he started to stroke her back lightly. Rey knew her actions didn't make sense, but there was no manual for such situations.

Being honest with herself, she knew she'd forgiven him a long time ago for their last fight. That wound in her soul had been healed four years ago when Ben was shot. It was not because he'd hurt himself, no, before that event she'd spent two years bitter about Ben's actions, about his memories.

Despite her sending him a message on her way to the airport, she still lived with an unresolved feeling inside her. All this bitterness affected even her daily life, Mingus and Luna brought her happiness that her children, but she could never feel entirely at peace.

Ben's accident was a wake-up call for her.

All her bitterness had been over the fact that he had thrown her out of his life and didn't care. Seeing that he not only cared, but also had taken actions against those who poisoned their relationship, made Rey realize she was the only one stuck in the past.

Ben wasn't innocent, He had impulsively accused her of horrible things and threw her out of their house because of a false rumor.

However, her actions were no less impulsive than his. Rey left, with all her stuff to another country, throwing her phone away without even thinking twice. She had no way of knowing for sure that he hadn't tried to look for her, that he hadn't tried to repair his mistakes. There was no way he knew where she had gone. To assume for sure that he never sought her was very pretentious on her part.

Ben's actions against the First Order made Rey leave that past behind and start living her life for real. It wasn't easy, it wasn't a fast healing, but with time she managed to do it.

The one thing still haunted her was the fact that Ben had improved his life, but had never taken an interest in his children. He was as alone as she was when she met him, so she figured he'd at least try to do it right by them.

Unlike her old scar, which healed with time, the open wound that was his lack of interest in his children, was painfully cauterized by the truth that he thought she hadn't gone forward with the pregnancy. It burned her wound like a blazing blade. The excruciating pain was triggering all the painful feelings kept inside her, making her scream all the pain out, raving to the point of incoherence. Her body was numb. Ben's hands stroking gently her back soothed her, but the pain was still there, and it would take time to cease.

"Rey...?" Rey smiled slightly with her head buried under his chin. Not an hour had passed since an identical scene had happened between them. "Sit down please." He guided her to sit on the bed. "I'll get you some water."

Ben brought her a bottle of water and sat down beside her, looking carefully at her.

After a few more minutes of silence, Ben decided to speak again. "Rey... Please give me a chance to know them, to be a part of their lives." She said nothing, keeping her eyes on the bottle in her hands. "I'm not using this as an excuse to get back with you if that is what you're thinking." He reassured her firmly.

It hurt, her heart was a healing wound, and his words were like salt rubbing against it. That thought hadn't crossed her mind. Rey hadn't even thought about the romantic implications of having Ben back in her life, but it still hurt.

Rey knew what decision she was supposed to make for her the sake of her children, but her mind was not too foggy now, she needed time.

"I need to think." She stood up, facing him. Rey felt hurt even if she didn't want to.

Ben stood up as well, "I understand. Take all the time you want." She felt the apprehension in his voice.

"I need to go Ben." He just nodded, astonished to hear his real name said like that.

She hurried to the door. Rey was sure now, Ben was a permanent part of their lives now.

 

#

  

Ben stood there for a while staring at the door after Rey left. Unlike earlier, he didn't feel like he was losing her again, yet, it was still not easy to see her go.

The whole conversation had been different from what Ben had expected.  After everything, Ben expected Rey to hate him, he was surprised to find out that wasn't the case. She resented him, she made it clear in her words, but it was still not even half of what Ben expected to face on their reunion. Instead, at some point, he almost felt as if she felt relief to have him there.

The fact the Rey had thought he had deliberately ignored his children didn't sit well with him, mainly because he knew it was his fault her assumption. He had chosen to antagonize her, to deprive her of defense and threw her out on the street, as if she were nothing. Ben had caused more pain to her than anyone in her past. Ben had given her every reason and to stay away, to think that he didn't want to be in their lives. It was his fault he wasn't there to see his children grow up.

Ben was crying a silent cry. He had turned off the lights and lay on the bed still dressed. He allowed himself to suffer over his mistakes, his mind flashed to him images of his children in an attempt to shine a light in that darkness, but he ignored it. Ben chose to let the darkness surround him at least for that night.

He lay awake, tormenting his mind with the memories of his sins, cutting deeper every wound he had, bathing in the pool of pain they created. When his conscience could no longer bear the torment, it shut down, making him fall asleep. No nightmare occupied the void of his sleep mind. Ben was left in a sea of darkness as he wanted.

 

#

 

When Ben awoke, he felt lost for a moment. He didn't know if the previous events had been real or a dream. His clothing, a pillow stained with tears and an intense headache, were a reminder that everything had been painfully real.

His phone said it was six in the morning. He decided to take a shower to think about his next actions. Ben had no interest in continuing to suffer over what he had no control over, things in the past couldn't be changed, but he could do something about his future.

He submerged his naked body under the running water in the shower, raising his head with his eyes closed. Allowing the hot water to lessen his pain.

Ben enabled his mind to think of a solution to his current situation. Contrary to Rey's belief, Ben would never have missed participating in the lives of his children.

He meant when he said he wasn't using the children to get back with her. Although he saw a pang of pain in her eyes when he said it, he wouldn't allow himself to hope for a relationship with her. Ben knew he had no intention of using this situation to his advantage when he denied her the answer to her question.

Ben didn't seek her out, but it wasn't because he didn't want to, as he let her assume. He wouldn't be able to stop pouring his heart to her if he'd allowed himself to share that little piece of truth. It wasn't like that Ben wanted to pave his way into their lives. He wanted to build a solid foundation so it would never be easily destroyed and he knew the best way to do it was through his actions.

It wouldn't be easy, and Ben would need help. Lack of communication had played a big hole in their separation, so Ben would make sure to leave his wishes very clear this time.

He left the hotel with his mind focused on his plan.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself standing by the front door of waiting for someone to open.

The air was knocked out of his lungs as the door opened, revealing the person behind it. "I need to talk to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> I know some parts, their feelings may have been confusing, but I did it purposefully. A lot has happened between them in the past, but a lot of time has already passed, and both have changed a lot in recent years. Keep in mind that the two believed in one thing firmly that turned out to be not true. That makes anyone lost.
> 
> Please be patient with our two morons. (three if you count me in!)
> 
> I reallly love you guys! <3
> 
> Special Thanks to Min Yoongi for pouring his heart in soul into his music! [ The Last ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_AP7DLQ0w) was blasting in my ears during their screaming match.


	7. Parents at School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has a chance to talk to those who matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning** : Talk about abortion on this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to all my readers and the ladies on [ The Writing Den](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Congratulations to [FLYDAM](https://thereylowritingden.tumblr.com/post/177632559679/congratulations-to-flydam-for-winning-the-house) for winning the August House Cup! *green heart* Rey is wearing a green dress. ;)

"I need to talk to you."

Finn was shocked to see Ben standing in front of him.

"Please, I really need to talk to you." Ben insisted.

"And what would we have to talk about?" Finn narrowed his eyes at him.

"The children."

Finn looked pensive for a moment. Pressing his lips together in a small grimace, he said, "Come on in."

Ben let out the air he had been holding since the door opened. For him, the fact that Finn had agreed to listen to him, it was already a victory. He thought the younger man would be more reluctant to meet him, but Ben was ready to beg if that was the case.

 

#

 

Of all the people that Finn could expect to see at his door that morning, Ben Solo wasn't one of them. Finn was so perplexed by the unexpected visit that his thoughts froze for a second and the other man's response to why he was there only added to his confusion.

He didn't know how the conversation between Ben and Rey had gone the day before, because he had decided to give his sister some time to herself, now with Ben at his door he was curious about the outcome of their interaction.

Finn knew Ben was waiting for him to close the door in his face, and maybe in the past, this had been true, but many things have changed over the years, especially for Finn. Also, all his opinion that he formed about Ben in the last days versus children's father personality were quite conflicting., so he decided to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

He led Ben into the kitchen. "It's early, have you eaten yet?" Finn asked politely.

"No, I came right here." Ben sat on a stool on the kitchen island while Finn continued to prepare his breakfast.

"Eggs and bacon sound good to you?"

"Hhm...You don't need to." Ben felt embarrassed. He wasn't expecting the kindness of Finn.

Finn waved to dismiss Ben's nervousness. "My grandmother would have a heart attack if I received a hungry visitor and offered nothing. Especially if I'm cooking something."

Ben said nothing to that, but Finn could see his body relaxing.

"Why are you here Ben? Shouldn't be at Rey's door that you were knocking?" Finn tried to sound as calm as possible so as not to scare Ben.

"Rey and I talked yesterday, and she's taking her time to think about my request." Ben took a stronger posture, trying to regain his confidence. "Also, I came here because I to tell you my side and to ask you something."

"You know I'm more likely to take her side than yours, right?" Finn needed to be honest with Ben, but he saw that his confidence didn't shake.

"I'm aware, and I know what you must have heard about me in the past years, but I regret the things I did. I want to be part of the life of Mingus and Luna."

Finn could hear the determination in Ben's speech. However, he still needed to clarify a few things before giving his opinion, so he questioned, "If you want so much to be part of their lives, why didn't you look for them before? I know Rey told you she was pregnant."

Ben was waiting for this question, and he was willing to tell Finn everything. "She told me, yes, but she also sent me a message, and I mistakenly interpreted that she would not keep the children. I promise you that I didn't know they existed." Ben's tone was pleading.

Finn listened to Ben's explanation, and it wasn't too hard to notice that the man in front of him was very bad at hiding his feelings.

"Let's say I believe you," Finn said slowly, trying not to give false hopes to Ben. "Why didn't you look for Rey? Regardless of the kids, you still had it wrong with her."

Ben's heart began to pound in his chest. He lowered his gaze to his hands and spoke, in a croaky tone, "Because I couldn't." Raising his eyes again, he continued, "I didn't want to cause more pain for her. You have to understand, at that time I thought she had aborted, so for me, I wasn't only the guy threw her on the street," His tone becoming brittle with his revelations, so Ben stopped to catch his breath. "But I was also the guy who forced her to give up one of the things she most wanted growing up." He then lowered his gaze again, trying to hold back the tears.

Finn knew what he was talking about. Anyone who had known Rey before the pregnancy knew that she always wanted to have a family. She wanted so much that she was willing to even forgive her parents for abandoning her.

Ben took Finn's silence as a signal for him to continue. "I didn't want to cause her more pain, and I knew my presence would bring nothing good for her. That doesn't mean I forgot her. I love her too much to forget her." He had never spoken this confession aloud to anyone. "I know you must be thinking that I left her suffering alone for my selfish reasons, but Rey was one of strongest person I know. It's one of the reasons I love her so much. I knew that even though I hurt her, she was strong enough to fight back. So I decided not to interfere anymore because nothing I would say could change my past actions." Ben could feel his heart lighter.

Finn could see that Ben thought he was doing the best staying away from Rey. He wanted to tell Ben what was the right thing to do, but he knew it was too easy to judge from an outside point of view. He knew what it was like to have his actions judged by people who had never been in the same situation.

_Everyone seems to have something to say when you do something wrong._ Finn thought to himself.

However, there were still some things that Finn was curious about. "And now that you know that this wasn't the reality. Do you want Rey back?"

"You're right, I do love her, but I know I don't deserve to have her back, no matter how much I want." Ben whispered the last part of his confession, "Rey deserves something better than me..."

Finn was surprised at Ben's confession. "Did you tell her all those things yesterday?" Finn raised an eyebrow.

Ben's posture changed to a more defeated one. "No... She asked me the same thing as you, but I couldn't tell her. If I had said it, I'd end up saying that I still love her." His voice was low, no louder than a whisper at this point. "I don't intend to act upon my feelings for her. All I want now is a chance to be a good father to my children."

Finn saw that massive grown-up man become small as he confessed his sins and poured his soul out.

All Finn knew about Rey's ex, was that he seemed to be a tough guy and in the end, he ended up kicking her out of his life in a difficult time, on immoral and false accusations. He had never met Ben when he was Kylo, but he had a chance to meet Ben before he knew he was the father of the twins. Whoever may have been in the past, the man in front of him was different.

Finn had also heard Poe talked about Ben in the past week. Poe had told him how his business partner was trying to leave the past behind, how he had approached his family and friends after a near-fatal accident and was trying to redeem his mistakes.

"How do you expect me to help you? Even if I believe your words," As he spoke, he could see Ben's face lighten and his posture relaxed. "I don't know you long enough to vouch for your character. Rey knows you longer and better than I do."

"I know, actually I came here with another intention." Ben said hastily, unable to contain his happiness."I wanted to ask your permission to share with you the space you occupy in their lives. Poe told me how you have been like a father to the twins, and how much you helped Rey during her pregnancy. So for me, your approval is equally important."

Finn was astonished at Ben's words. The older man didn't seem to stop surprising him. Part of Finn was happy to know that his nephew and niece would have such a mature father to care for them.

"Okay, I'll allow it, and also, I'll talk to Rey about you and the children." Finn saw Ben's eyes widen comically in surprise at his declaration.

"Really?!"

Finn nodded, trying not to laugh at Ben's expression. _He is too expressive for his own good._

"May I ask you why?" Ben took an apprehensive stance. "I know you probably hate me for what I did to Rey, so I'd like to know what made you make that decision."

Finn considered for a moment, and decided to be honest with Ben as well, "I've been in a situation similar to yours a few years back." He watched as Ben's eyes widened. "Before I found out I was gay, I had this girlfriend during college. We broke up because she had to move back to her hometown and at that time she didn't know she was pregnant. When she found out I had already moved to Scotland, so she ended up having our son alone. A few years ago she just met with a friend in common who gave her contact. Despite the shock of finding I had a child, there wasn't a moment of doubt that I wanted to be part of his life." Finn wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. It had been many years since he had told his story to someone. "My son was already three years old when I met him, and It took me a long time to get over the fact I had missed so many moments in his life, but I needed to focus in having a future with him." After taking a deep breath, Finn continued, "That's why I'm going to help you with the kids. You want to participate in their lives, and no matter how much you've been wrong with Rey, I can't deny the fact that you're interested in being in their lives. " Finn's expression grew serious for a moment. "It doesn't mean however I forgave you for hurting Rey."

"You and me both, Finn." Ben remarked in a sad tone."Thank you though. Not only for your support but for sharing your story with me as well. It means a lot to me, and I will forever be grateful for your kindness." Ben stared at Finn with a soft gaze and a warm smile.

They were silent after that, but it was a comfortable silence. Finn finished cooking breakfast and Ben got up to help set the table.

"So where's your son now? If you don't mind me asking." Ben questioned curiously.

"I don't," Finn replied as they sat. "Drake and his mother live in the US, but I have him for part of summer and Christmas they both came here."

"I'm glad to know. I hope I can meet him someday." Ben said as he ate his breakfast. The knot of anxiety in his stomach had dissipated, and he was starving.

"He and the twins are very close." Finn ate with the same intensity as Ben. "Next weekend will be Rey's cousin's wedding, and he is going, so you'll probably meet him."

The mention of Rey's family ignited a spark of curiosity in Ben. "How did Rey find her family?" He rubbed the back of his head, ashamed of being unable to hide his interest.

Finn saw no problem in sharing a bit of the story with him. "Her grandfather found her a few years ago. They talked, and Rey decided to accept him in their lives. Now she and the twins carry his family surname, which is surprising of Scottish origin. Finding her family was a big plus in Rey's life in the last few years."

Listening to Finn talk about Rey accepting her grandfather, made Ben feel more hopeful. "I'm happy for her. She deserves to have a family."

"I agree."

Ben felt that Finn's words had deep meaning behind them, but he chose not to press on the subject.

They talked a little more about the twins, Finn's son and some trivial things about Rey's pregnancy while they ate.

When he was already outside the door, Ben stopped abruptly and turned to Finn. "You know, Poe really likes kids."

Finn was amazed at Ben's perception. "Thank you. I was waiting to see how things would develop."

"He likes you a lot. In fact, he didn't shut up all week about you." Ben's warm smile turned into a small frown. "I hope you don't think bad of him because of me."

"I don't. You don't need to worry about that." Finn assured him with a wide grin.

"And also, I hope we can maintain our professional relationship." Ben slid his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders slightly. He felt unease for bringing the topic. "Your company has caught our attention."

From everything that happened that morning to Finn, that was the less tense topic of their interaction, so he didn't mind Ben's request. "I'll talk to Rey, but I don't think she's going to go against it."

Ben sighed in relief. "Thank you. For that and for having me in your house." He held out his hand to Finn.

"Thank you for coming here to talk to me." Finn took his hand.

 They exchanged one last look of camaraderie before Ben went on his way.

 

#

 

 

 

 

Rey had tried to rest all night, but recent events kept her awake for most of it. She was happy to be home alone. The meeting with Ben had not been anything she imagined it would be, and she needed time to process all her discoveries.

Find out that Ben didn't know she had had the twins started a domino effect of emotions that Rey wasn't prepared to deal with. Almost every one of her emotional barriers had been knocked over and turned into dust in their fall. Rey didn't know where to start building them again. Rey had spent the whole time pondering what to do, and although she already had an idea of her position regarding the kids, she still had some fears. Finn was on his way to lunch with her, so she decided to wait and listen to her brother's position in the situation before making a final decision.

Finn had bought food at their favorite Korean restaurant before appearing at Rey's house.

They agreed to eat first, but over lunch, Finn decided to ask Rey about their partnership with Poe's company. "Rey, about our partnership with New Hope, is it okay for you to keep the project going?"

Rey honestly hadn't thought about it until then. However she wasn't going to be an active part of the project, so it made no sense to decline a professional proposal for personal reasons.

"It's okay for me. Phasma's going to be taking my place anyway." She shrugged indifferently. "How are things between you and Poe? I hope my situation with Ben doesn't affect your relationship."

Finn noticed that Rey said 'Ben' instead of 'Kylo' but chose not to comment on it. "Don't worry. We're fine." He grinned at his sister. "Actually, I was thinking of calling him to be my plus one at your cousin's wedding."

"Oh!" Rey fidgeted with her food before bringing the next topic. "Drake will be there too. Are you confident about this?" She knew that Finn loved his son a lot. For him to consider introducing Drake to Poe, it must mean that he is invested in this relationship.

"Drake always will be one of the most important people in my life, so I'd rather know soon if they'll like each other than wait and find out after months of the relationship." Finn omitted that Ben's words earlier had a significant influence on his decision.

Rey understood his point-of-view. She never had any interest in dating someone after Ben, but she knew how much her children could influence her love life.

After lunch, they sat in the backyard. The day was beautiful, and the weather was pleasant, there was no reason to stay on the inside of the house.

Rey could feel her anxiety building in. Finn recognized the signs of her nervousness and decided to start the conversation, "Ben stopped by my house today."

Rey was looking at him startled. "W-Why? What did he want?" She was also impressed with how calm Finn was about the situation. Making her curious about their encounter.

"He wanted to talk to me about the kids and explain his side of the story."

His answer only made her more confused. "Why was he talking to you about it?"

It made no sense to Rey. _If he wanted to talk about the twins, why he talks to Finn and not me?_

Before her thoughts entered a sea of negativity, and mistrust, about Ben's actions, Finn explained, "He wants to ask me permission to share my role as a father figure in their lives."

Rey was speechless. Of all the reasons she thought Ben had to go to her brother's house, this wasn't one of them.

"I told him about Drake, and I gave my opinion on your situation," Finn revealed.

Rey fiddled nervously with the hem of her dress. "And, what is your opinion?"

"I'll tell you, but first, I want you to tell me what your conversation with him was like." He stated, with a strong gaze and a steady tone.

She was apprehensive, "It was...unexpected? I went to talk to him believing something, but it turned out that the reality was different."

Finn just nodded and decided to move on to the next question, "What about the past events between you guys?"

"To be honest with you, I closed that part a long time ago," Rey spoke with confidence. "It's been a long time since I've forgiven him, not because he deserves it, or because I don't think what he did could be justified in any way, but for myself. I needed to move on with my life, and I couldn't do it trapped in the past." Rey finally decided to voice her thoughts about their past relationship. "We made many impulsive decisions in our relationship, you know? I believe that our lack of experience, and our internal demons, were bound to come back to haunt us at some point."

Finn decided not to comment, but he knew that his old opinions, from when she started dating Ben, were the foundation of her words. He loved Rey, but Finn always felt that their relationship had started too intense. From the little she'd shared about Ben in the past, he had as much emotional baggage as Rey, but neither were facing that fact correctly, and that was why Finn went against their relationship before.

Rey couldn't bear her brother silence and decided to ask, "What do you think?"

"I will never be able to forgive what he did to you..."

Rey quirked her eyebrow."But?"

"But Ben has a real interest in Mingus and Luna, and you know I would never be on the path of a father who wants to know his children."  
"I could never stay in their way too, Finn. This situation isn't about Ben or me, it's about our children. I waited nineteen years for my parents, always believing that one day they would come and get me out of that hell. If I had in my heart forgiveness for what my parents did to me, how can I deny Ben being in their lives, when he so sincerely wants to know them?"

Rey had been thinking about this for a long time. She knew that if by any chance he came to look for them if he would want to participate in their lives, she wouldn't deny it. She would never refuse to her children, a father who loves them, not when she has spent her whole life knowing how was not to be wanted by her parents.

"I understand you Peanut," Finn said hugging her on the side and resting his head on her right shoulder.

Rey appreciated her brother's tender embrace for a moment before speaking again. "He didn't tell me why he didn't look for me after everything..." The pain in her voice was palpable.

"Hm." Finn hated to leave his sister in the dark, but it wasn't his truth to share. He also believed that Ben wouldn't be able to avoid it for too long. "Maybe it was difficult for him." Finn shrugged slightly.

"Yeah, maybe..." Rey agreed, lacking confidence in her tone.

There was something else bothering Finn's mind, so he decided to question her, "Do you think you're going to be a couple again someday?"

"Based on what Ben told me yesterday, I don't think he wants to be in a relationship with me."

"And what do _you_ want?" Finn lifted his head to look at his sister.

"I honestly do not know..." And Rey wasn't lying. Her mind might be determined to let Ben into the children's lives, but she still didn't know where she stands romantically with Ben. "I want to focus on the kids now. I still have to figure out a way to tell them about Ben."

She didn't dare to speak out loud, but part of her was afraid that her children would resent her or Ben for his absence in the early years of their lives.

"I'm sure they'll understand. They're wonderful kids, and I'm also here to help you." He assured his sister.

Rey was relieved to have Finn by her side.

"Thank you, Finn." And it was Rey's turn to hug her brother.

 

#

 

Rey had spent her weekend with Finn. They even went out to lunch with Poe on Sunday, and it had been much fun, and not a weird as Rey had expected. Poe was a sweet and easy-going guy. Rey was glad that Finn had found a someone as cool as Poe, and she knew Finn made the right decision to introduce Drake to him.

They didn't talk about Ben during lunch, and she was grateful. Rey needed a break for her mind.

However, before Poe left, Rey asked Ben's number to him. Poe looked surprised but was polite enough not to ask her anything.

  
#

  
Later that night, Rey sent a message to Ben before going to sleep.

  
Rey **:** _"Hi Ben! This is Rey, and this is my cell phone number._  
_I asked your number to Poe. I hope you don't care._  
_Anyway, could you meet me at 3:00 pm tomorrow to talk?_  
_It can be in my office. If it is inconvenient my last minute message, please tell me what would be a better alternative."_

Rey **:** _"P.S.: I hope I didn't wake you up by sending this message so late."_

She decided to take a shower while she waited for Ben's message. Rey had barely turned her back on the phone, and message sound alert filled the room.

Picking it up, she saw that Ben was indeed answering.

_He probably was using his cell phone already._ She justified to herself his quickness.

**Ben:** _"Hi Rey._  
_You didn't bother me at all. :)_  
_I still sleep late working._  
_I saved your number._  
_Thank you for contacting me so soon after our conversation._  
_The time and place are perfect for me._  
_I hope the news is good._

_Good night, Rey._  
_See you tomorrow..."_

As much as it was a simple message, reading it made Rey's heart beat faster. She smiled involuntarily to see that he still had the habit of working late.

**Rey:** _"See you tomorrow then._  
_Good night, Ben. "_

She put her phone aside, trying to ignore how this simple exchange of words made her feel.

 

#

 

Ben had slept better after Rey messaged him. He didn't know what she was going to say, but he tried to keep his thoughts positive.

Poe news had also been a great help to soothe his nerves. Although his friend didn't go into detail, he said that apparently, Ben had made a good impression on Finn, at least a father figure for Mingus and Luna. Ben was happy to know that Finn had shared the news of his son with Poe, his friend felt much safer knowing that Finn was willing to introduce his son to him.

Ben arrived at Rey's office fifteen minutes before the appointed time. He was anxious, and staying in his office, risked something to happen to delay his meeting with Rey.

To his happiness, she was free when he arrived and decided to anticipate their meeting.

Entering her office, Ben noticed his children photos and drawings scattered as decorations all over it. His favorite was a picture of Mingus and Luna as babies behind Rey's table. He wondered for a second if Rey would let him have a copy.

However, they weren't the only things Ben noticed. He took his time to observe the beautiful woman in front of him. He never thought it could be possible, but she looked even more beautiful than when he first met her.

Rey's green dress hugged her feminine frame perfectly, so Ben was able to study carefully the changes that pregnancy made on her body. Her hips were wider, accenting her narrow waist and giving her body an hourglass shape. Her breasts were at least two sizes larger than before, and not as firm but for Ben they looked perfect. Every change she in his eyes has only enhanced her goddess-like beauty.

When Ben noticed that he was staring at her, he cleared his throat and looked away. He could feel the tip of his ears turning red, and he cursed himself for cutting his hair too short.

Rey broke the uncomfortable silence, "I'm glad you can come today." She looked calm, but the signs of nervousness were evident to anyone who knew her well. He also saw the coloration on her cheeks, and he pondered for a second that maybe she had looked at him too.

"I'm happy you contacted me so soon." Ben sounded eager, but he didn't care.

A gleam of happiness crossed Rey's eye with his excited tone. "I thought a lot about what you said to me, and Finn also talked to me." She gestured for them to sit down, "You know about my past. I grew up without a family, and that was always something important to me. For a long time I thought you didn't care about them but seeing your determination, I believe it's okay to give you a chance-"

"Thank you, Rey!" He grinned sincerely at her. "I prom-"

Ben was interrupted by Rey's cell phone. On the screen, the twin's school name flashed. It was almost time to pick them up, so if it weren't something urgent, they wouldn't be calling her.

"It's from their school," Rey explained, "I should probably take that." She shoots him an apologetic and worried look.

He dismissed her apologies waving his hand. "Of course, go ahead." Ben didn't say, but he felt worried as well.

And the more he watched Rey, the more he grew concerned. She hurriedly got up, making him mirrored her action. "I'll be right there. Thank you for calling." She looked at him agitated. "It was the children's school, apparently Luna fought with a classmate and Mingus is in the infirmary too, they want me there," Rey said hastily, her words barely making any sense, while she was picking up her things and throwing them in her bag.

Concerned about the twins and Rey's exasperated state, Ben suggested,"I'll go with you. We don't need to say anything today, but I'd like to help you. Also, I'm worried about them."

Rey weighed the situation with his suggestion for a moment. Seeing no problem, she decided to accept his company. "Okay. I came by car today. We can go on it."

"I'll drive." He noticed how his tone sounded like an order and decided to add, "You're very nervous. I'd feel better if you let me drive."

Rey just nodded and passed the keys of his car to him, leaving her office. She stopped quickly to ask Kaydel to warn Finn about the situation and that she would call him later.

It took them a while to get there because Rey had to teach Ben the way, which helped make their minds off the situation for a few minutes.

Arriving there, Rey went straight to the school office, with Ben behind her.

The secretary was startled when Rey hurriedly opened the door, but she calmed down when she recognized Rey. "Hi, I came here because of my children," Rey said hastily.

"Miss Kenobi, your children are with their teacher, and they must be on their way." The woman informed Rey while noticed Ben's presence. "And you, how can I help you, Sir?"

"I'm with her. I'm Mingus and Luna's father." He replied.

Rey had her back to him, so he couldn't see the corner of her lips moving up, in a small smile. However, her expression changed abruptly when she heard her daughter's sweet voice behind her.

"Is Ben our father?"

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm always going to be a hardworking writer, please keep up with me** _bows respectfuly_
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Your feedback is very important to me, so don't feel shy about leaving me your comment down below. <3


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